Author: Contemporaries Team
Creating a Winning Resume
The Contemporaries Team recently provided job seekers with 10 Tips for Career Success in 2025. Today, we will be focusing on Tip #1 – Creating and updating a quality resume.
Having reviewed thousands of resumes from many diverse candidates, there are some commonalities that indicate whether the individual should move on to the next phase or be passed over for someone who may or may not be better qualified.
The difference?
The individual with the better resume is usually the one who will advance, without ever meeting either individual.
In the 1900s, two American psychologists identified what is known as the “Halo Effect” whereby a person, due to a variety of factors, could evoke a positive or negative impression upon a first meeting.
Nowadays, it is not a first meeting which will result in a positive or negative impression, but the quality of the resume, since most employers require them prior to any meeting taking place.
Here are a few pointers on putting together a winning resume or, for higher level positions, a curriculum vitae (CV).
Make sure:
- To provide a list of your skills, and include all the software programs you have worked on in addition to all platforms you have used.
- Provide bullet points or short sentences or paragraphs on the duties and responsibilities you have successfully undertaken in previous positions.
- To alter the bullets or sentences to include the responsibilities which are relevant to the duties outlined in the position you are vying for.
- Layout your Work history in a chronological order, starting with the most recent work at the top and working your way down from there for previous posts.
- Take a look at examples on the Internet to see how other resumes in your field are laid out, and be sure to put your contact information at the top.
- Utilize the spelling and grammar check feature, because you want your resume to be flawless before you send it out.
- Include any projects, certifications, and awards you received as they relate to the position you are applying for.
These are just a few suggestions to help you achieve career success in 2025!
Picture by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay