Upgrading Your Resumé
by Maria Bssadh
3rd-Year Student in Finance
So, you’ve been applying to numerous jobs, all of which you truly believe you are qualified for. Then why haven’t you been getting any positive feedback from employers? Chances are your resumé needs an upgrade! Here are a few simple ways to make sure your resumé impresses employers.
Spice it up!
Employers often receive hundreds of resumés for one single job posting. As you can imagine, going through them can get boring. By adding some colour to your resumé and choosing a simple, yet professional-looking design, you will stand out from your competitors. Nothing too crazy, as fancy formatting can get in the way of applicant tracking systems (ATS). You’re simply adding a dash of your personality into your resumé. If you need a good resumé template that will work with ATS and wow recruiters, check out the various resumé templates offered on the Telfer Career Centre website.
Add variety
Another great way to upgrade your resumé is to add athletic, extracurricular and volunteer activities that show employers you are a well-rounded person. Were you an assistant coach on a sports team? A Telfer club executive? A fundraiser for a non-profit organization? These activities are all worth mentioning on your resumé, especially if you did them for a long period of time. They allow employers to get a glimpse of your loyalty, determination, and work ethic. Not sure how to present them on your resumé? Book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Keep it up to date
If you truly want to update your resumé, make sure it stays up to date: nobody wants to know about the science project that got you first place in back in 9th grade (although, it is indeed a great achievement, good job!) You can only go back so far on your resumé and so by making sure everything included is relevant and worth mentioning, it will definitely help narrow things down for you.
Keep it concise
Although we would all like to display the many great things that we have accomplished over the years on our resumé, we need to make sure not to go overboard. It has been found that employers only spend six to seven seconds reviewing a resumé. Hence the importance of a short and concise resumé! To receive the best tips on how to make your resumé as impactful as possible, book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Career Counsellor at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Good luck, and if you ever need anything at all,
the Telfer Career Centre is always here to help!
Sources
What is Indeed?
How Long Do Hiring Managers Look at a Resumé?