Resume Writing Tips to Get You Ahead in 2023

Writing a resume can be tedious. Deciding on the information you want to present can take time, but it can be your ticket to the direction you want your career to go in.


Your resume is quite possibly the only encounter that an employer may have with you, so I’ve given you some resume writing tips focused on being organized, intentional, and relevant so you can stand out in the sea of thousands of other people.

 

  • Keep it concise:

A resume should be one to two pages long, depending on your level of experience. For roles with more technical experience, it may be appropriate to have a longer resume. Don’t include unnecessary or irrelevant information, try to keep it simple. Not everything has to be explained in a whole sentence, many things can be condensed to bullet points to tighten up the length of your resume.

  • Be smart with your formatting

Try to organize your information in an easily digestible format so that potential employers see the information you want them to see. The formatting of your resume shouldn’t be the reason you weren’t considered. Take some time to look at resume templates or completed resumes to get an idea of what works and what doesn’t.

    • Do:
      • Use bullet points to break up information so that it is easier to review
      • Use formatting like bolding to bring attention to important information and establish some organic separation between sections.
      • Choose a clean, professional resume template. (If you have an existing Indeed resume, great! Move the information over to a resume template for a more attractive, professional resume.)
    • Don’t:
      • Present your experience in one big paragraph
      • Choose resume templates that have many graphics, unless your experience is relevant to their use.
        • You want to avoid a “busy” resume where there’s too much going on.
  • Tailor your resume to the type of work that you want

Before you start writing, take some time to reflect on your experience and identify what direction you would like to go in. Identify the skills and qualifications that are important for the type of work you are trying to get into. Make sure to showcase your strongest skills and accomplishments that are relevant to the position that you want.

A resume is not only a view into your past experience, but is also indicative of your future potential. If you have experience that success is measured in certain ways, be sure to include data that shows you know what you’re doing.

  • For example, if you have increased sales year over year, bring some numbers in to demonstrate your skill in a way that is directly relevant to employers.

Consider looking at a resume of someone who is in the job role you are seeking, to see what they considered important to highlight in their skill set, but also to identify any gaps in your experience.

  • Use keywords that are relevant

How are employers finding your resume? Employers use sites like Monster, LinkedIn, and Indeed to find potential employees.

To find you, they have to search for either Job Titles or keywords that describe your experience. Look at a job description for your desired role, and see what skills and information that are relevant to you that you can include in your resume. You want to be easy to find and a relevant candidate.

If you have used particular software or interacted with certain products for your duties, make sure to mention the program/product type in your resume.

  • Proofread

Great! Your resume is complete. Or is it? Check over your resume to confirm that you have

    • Correct information
    • Your contact information
    • Proper grammar and spelling
    • Clean formatting

Get another set of eyes on your final draft, someone else may see something you missed.

All done? Get out into the world and be sure to upload your resume everywhere you can.
You want to be visible where employers are searching resumes, so be sure to visit Monster, CareerBuilder, Indeed, ZipRecruiter, Linkedin and more.

Stay tuned for more tips!

Using References in your Bellevue Job Application Process

Your job references are important in confirming the skills, motivation and attitudes included in your resume and demonstrated during your interview. Ideally, your referee is someone you have reported to in a professional capacity.

Choose a job reference who can confirm

  • Your employment and responsibilities
  • Your strengths and possible areas for development
  • The type of people you work well with
  • The management style that suits you best
  • Your ability to work unsupervised and as part of a team
  • Your capacity to take direction, and most important
  • Your suitability for the role you are seeking

Job reference tips

  • Always have your job reference’s permission before giving their contact details to a prospective employer. Your referee should never be caught off guard by an unexpected phone call, as this can work against you.
  • Make sure your referees know about the role you have applied for so they can focus on your relevant skills and strengths.
  • It’s good practice to contact your referees after the interview and let them know how it went. This way they can emphasise your key strengths or skills relevant to the job.
  • Every time you change employers, make an effort to ask for a reference from your manager or co-worker. This enables you to create a file of recommendations from people who you may not be in contact with in the future.
  • Keep your job references up to date and let them know where your job search stands. This keeps them on guard and be better prepared for a potential call. When you become employed, send a thank you note to anyone who provided you with a reference.
  • Keep your business network up to date, LinkedIn is a great way to do this. Maintain continual contact with your references and if you feel it’s appropriate ask them to write you a reference that you can post to your LinkedIn profile too.

What to put in your Resume in 2022

1. Don’t Put Everything on There

Your resume should not have every work experience you’ve ever had listed on it. Think of your resume not as a comprehensive list of your career history, but as a marketing document selling you as the perfect person for the job. For each resume you send out, you’ll want to highlight only the accomplishments and skills that are most relevant to the job at hand (even if that means you don’t include all of your experience).

2. But Keep a Master List of All Jobs

Since you’ll want to be swapping different information in and out depending on the job you’re applying to, keep a resume master list on your computer where you keep any information you’ve ever included on a resume: old positions, bullet points tailored for different applications, special projects that only sometimes make sense to include. Then, when you’re crafting each resume, it’s just a matter of cutting and pasting relevant information together. Think of this as your brag file.

3. Put the Best Stuff “Above the Fold”

In marketing speak, “above the fold” refers to what you see on the front half of a folded newspaper (or, in the digital age, before you scroll down on a website), but basically it’s your first impression of a document. In resume speak, it means you should make sure your best experiences and accomplishments are visible on the top third of your resume. This top section is what the hiring manager is going to see first—and what will serve as a hook for someone to keep on reading. So focus on putting your best, most relevant experiences first—and then check out these five other marketing tricks to get your resume noticed.

You need a killer resume, make sure its ready for the job you want.

1. Find a Professional Font

As fun as it might look on the page, now is not the time to use weird fonts. Unless you are working in a creative field where you should be showing off your style, stick to something classic. Times New Roman is great go-to, or try a serif font with a little more individuality, like Book Antiqua or Lucida Bright.

2. Put the Good Stuff First

The real secret to a good resume is focusing your reader’s attention. In an ideal world, recruiters would read every word on your resume. In reality, that rarely happens. I’ve screened hundreds of resumes, and though I’m more meticulous than most, I’ve been surprised by how many I nearly tossed, only to find something truly interesting buried at the bottom of the page.

Also, the biggest mistake is to use chronological order. Why lead with “Babysitter in High School” when you could lead with “Strategic Planning Analyst?” Even reverse chronological order (which is more common) may not give you the flexibility you want to highlight your best and most relevant accomplishments.

3. Be Specific

You increased recruiting? Give us the percent increase. You raised money for charity? Tell us how much you raised! This can turn average-looking experiences into impressive head-turners and help distinguish you from other candidates. The flip-side of that is that specifics can also make some accomplishments look worse. If you only raised $150, you might want to think twice before including that—it’s unlikely to impress a billion dollar company.

Hint: This is true of your classes as well. Mentioning relevant coursework can help catch a recruiter’s eye.

4. Vary Your Verbs

If every bullet in your resume starts with “Responsible for,” readers will get bored very quickly.

5. Make Every Word Count

Unless you’re a tenured professor who needs to list every book and article you’ve ever published, your resume should be one page. While this limits the space you have to share your experience, think of it as a blessing in disguise: It forces you to focus.

You don’t need an equal number of bullets under each experience. You should be spending more words on your most impressive set of experiences. Moreover, if a job isn’t relevant anymore, take it out! You don’t need to prove that you’ve been employed since 1997.

Can’t make things fit on one page? Keep cutting it down. You can play with margins and font sizes a bit if necessary—but don’t overdo it. The point is to choose the right experiences, not squish them in. Plus, a dense resume is harder to read. And the harder your resume is to read, the more likely people will just skim it.

Hint: You can make the font size of the spacing between text smaller without losing legibility

6. Proofread

Grammar or spelling errors in a resume can be the difference between the “keep” pile and the “trash” pile. At best, you look sloppy. Enough said.

7. PDF, PDF, PDF

This one is simple: PDFs look the same on any computer. Word documents, on the other hand, can show up with wacky formatting or spill onto a second page if opened with a different version of Word or on a PC vs. a Mac. Make sure companies see what you wanted them to see.

12 changes to make your resume easy to read

12 Tips to Make Your Resume Easy to Read and Visually Appealing

When recruiters review resumes, they often skim for key details. Using a clean, readable format increases the chances that they’ll notice your most relevant skills and experience. Here are some formatting tips to ensure your resume stands out and makes an impact.

1. Align All Text to the Left

Left-aligned text improves readability, as the eye naturally returns to the left margin when moving to the next line. Avoid centering any text, including section headings, to create a more organized, professional look.

2. Right-Align Dates and Locations

Separate the company name, job title, location, and employment dates by aligning dates and locations to the right. This approach keeps your information organized and allows recruiters to easily spot your employment timeline. Most word processors allow you to set up a right-tab to make this adjustment.

3. Skip Justified Alignment

Justified text can create uneven spaces between words, which may hurt readability. Stick with left alignment for your bullets and text to maintain a neat, easy-to-read layout.

4. Use a Uniform Font Size

Except for your name, which can be slightly larger, keep the font size consistent throughout your resume. Instead of using different font sizes for emphasis, try bolding, italicizing, or using all-caps sparingly to highlight important elements.

5. Choose Either Roles or Companies to Bold

Bolding certain information helps with skimming, but avoid overdoing it. Choose to bold either your job titles or company names based on what you want to emphasize. If your job progression tells a story, bold the titles; if your experience is mostly internships, bolding company names may be more effective.

6. Use ALL-CAPS Sparingly

All-caps can help draw attention to key sections like headers, but it’s harder to read in large amounts. Reserve this for headings or your name to ensure readability.

7. Lead with Strong Words in Bullets

Recruiters often skim the first few words of bullet points before deciding to read further. Start each bullet with impactful, concise language to capture attention immediately. Action verbs like “Led,” “Managed,” or “Developed” can help make a strong impression.

8. Keep Bullet Points Under Two Lines

Aim to keep your bullet points short and to the point. Two lines per bullet is ideal; this way, each point remains digestible and easy to skim.

9. Use Numerals for Numbers

Quantify your achievements to give context to your impact, and use digits instead of words (e.g., “30%” instead of “thirty percent”). This approach saves space and improves readability.

10. Include a Dedicated “Skills” Section

Listing all relevant skills in one section ensures they won’t be overlooked. Highlighting skills both here and within job descriptions gives recruiters a clear view of your abilities.

11. Maintain Consistent Formatting

If you’re using creative ways to fit information onto a single page, be sure formatting stays consistent across sections. This makes skimming easier and helps recruiters quickly locate details they may want to review.

12. Leave Some White Space

White space, or empty space on your resume, enhances readability by providing visual breaks between sections. It signals transitions and helps important areas, like your name and skills, stand out.

By following these formatting tips, you’ll create a resume that’s both easy to read and visually appealing, increasing your chances of making a strong impression on recruiters.

Keywords Matter

How to See What Recruiters Notice Most on Your Resume Using a Word Cloud

If you’re curious about what stands out most on your resume, here’s an easy trick to identify the keywords and themes recruiters might notice first: try using a word cloud generator.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Copy and paste your resume into a word cloud tool like TagCrowd.
  2. The app will generate an image that highlights the most frequent words on your resume, with more common words appearing larger and bolder.

By taking a quick look at the word cloud, you can see which terms are most prominent and make adjustments if needed. This insight allows you to align your resume with industry-specific keywords, helping recruiters associate your skills and experience with the role you’re targeting.

How to add Education to your resume

Experience First, Education Second

Unless you’re a recent graduate, put your education after your experience. Chances are, your last couple of jobs are more important and relevant to you getting the job than where you went to college.

Also Keep it Reverse Chronological…

Usually, you should lay down your educational background by listing the most recent or advanced degree first, working in reverse chronological order. But if older coursework is more specific to the job, list that first to grab the reviewer’s attention.

But Skip the Dates

Don’t list your graduation dates. The reviewer cares more about whether or not you have the degree than when you earned it.

Highlight Honors, Not GPA

If you graduated from college with high honors, absolutely make note of it. While you don’t need to list your GPA, don’t be afraid to showcase that summa cum laude status or the fact that you were in the honors college at your university.

Include Continuing or Online Education

Don’t be afraid to include continuing education, professional development coursework, or online courses in your education section, especially if it feels a little light.  “Online courses are a more-than-accepted norm nowadays, and your participation in them can actually show your determination and motivation to get the skills you need for your career.”

Miscellaneous Resume Tip’s

Essential Resume Tips to Stand Out to Hiring Managers

A polished, professional resume can make a big difference in the hiring process. Here are some tips to help your resume make a strong impression and avoid common pitfalls.

1. Skip “References Available Upon Request”

Hiring managers assume you’ll have references if needed, so there’s no need to state the obvious. Leaving this phrase off your resume allows you to use the space more effectively for relevant skills and experience.

2. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

Typos and grammatical errors can make a poor first impression. Don’t rely solely on spell check—ask a friend, family member, or a professional to review your resume. A fresh set of eyes can often catch mistakes you may have missed.

3. Save Your Resume as a PDF

If emailing your resume, always send it as a PDF rather than a Word document (.doc or .docx). PDFs preserve your formatting, so your resume will look exactly as intended when the hiring manager opens it.

4. Name Your File Appropriately

When saving your resume, use a clear file name like “Jane Doe Resume” rather than a generic “Resume.” This makes it easy for hiring managers to locate your file and keeps things organized on their end.

5. Regularly Update Your Resume

Set aside time every few months to review and refresh your resume. Add any new skills, responsibilities, or accomplishments so you’re always prepared if an opportunity arises. Keeping your resume current can also serve as a valuable reflection on your career growth, even if you’re not actively job searching.

Following these simple yet effective tips can help you create a resume that stands out and represents your qualifications in the best possible light.

Pointers to improve your resume in Bellevue

It’s deceptively easy to make mistakes on your resume and exceptionally difficult to repair the damage once an employer gets it. So prevention is critical, whether you’re writing your first resume or revising it for a mid-career job search. Check out this resume guide to the most common pitfalls and how you can avoid them.

1. Typos and Grammatical Errors

Your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. If it isn’t, employers will read between the lines and draw not-so-flattering conclusions about you, like: “This person can’t write,” or “This person obviously doesn’t care.”

2. Lack of Specifics

Employers need to understand what you’ve done and accomplished. For example:

A. Worked with employees in a restaurant setting.
B. Recruited, hired, trained and supervised more than 20 employees in a restaurant with $2 million in annual sales.

Both of these phrases could describe the same person, but the details and specifics in example B will more likely grab an employer’s attention.

3. Attempting One Size Fits All

Whenever you try to develop a one-size-fits-all resume to send to all employers, you almost always end up with something employers will toss in the recycle bin. Employers want you to write a resume specifically for them. They expect you to clearly show how and why you fit the position in a specific organization.

4. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments

It’s easy to slip into a mode where you simply start listing job duties on your resume. For example:

  • Attended group meetings and recorded minutes.
  • Worked with children in a day-care setting.
  • Updated departmental files.

Employers, however, don’t care so much about what you’ve done as what you’ve accomplished in your various activities. They’re looking for statements more like these:

  • Used laptop computer to record weekly meeting minutes and compiled them in a Microsoft Word-based file for future organizational reference.
  • Developed three daily activities for preschool-age children and prepared them for a 10-minute holiday program performance.
  • Reorganized 10 years worth of unwieldy files, making them easily accessible to department members.

5. Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short

Despite what you may read or hear, there are no real rules governing resume length. Why? Because human beings, who have different preferences and expectations where resumes are concerned, will be reading it.

That doesn’t mean you should start sending out five-page resumes, of course. Generally speaking, you usually need to limit yourself to a maximum of two pages. But don’t feel you have to use two pages if one will do. Conversely, don’t cut the meat out of your resume simply to make it conform to an arbitrary one-page standard.

6. A Bad Objective

Employers do read your resume objective, but too often they plow through vague pufferies like, “Seeking a challenging position that offers professional growth.” Give employers something specific and, more importantly, something that focuses on their needs as well as your own. Example: “A challenging entry-level marketing position that allows me to contribute my skills and experience in fund-raising for nonprofits.”

7. No Action Verbs

Avoid using phrases like “responsible for.” Instead, use action verbs: “Resolved user questions as part of an IT help desk serving 4,000 students and staff.”

8. Leaving Off Important Information

You may be tempted, for example, to eliminate mention of the jobs you’ve taken to earn extra money for school. Typically, however, the soft skills you’ve gained from these experiences (e.g., work ethic, time management) are more important to employers than you might think.

9. Visually Too Busy

If your resume is wall-to-wall text featuring five different fonts, it will most likely give the employer a headache. So show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? If what you have is hard on the eyes, revise.

10. Incorrect Contact Information

I once worked with a student whose resume seemed incredibly strong, but he wasn’t getting any bites from employers. So one day, I jokingly asked him if the phone number he’d listed on his resume was correct. It wasn’t. Once he changed it, he started getting the calls he’d been expecting. Moral of the story: Double-check even the most minute, taken-for-granted details — sooner rather than later.

 

Simple Formula to great cover letters for jobs in Seattle

1. Identify the Problem

55% of hiring managers don’t read cover letters. Why should they, when we write like modern-day Oliver Twists, begging them to please, sir, give us the job?

News flash: The hiring manager isn’t here to make your dreams come true. They’re in it for themselves. OK, that’s harsh, but the truth is that they’re looking for an awesome candidate to come in and do a kick-ass job that’ll help them run their department (or company) more efficiently and successfully.

When you’re writing your own cover letter, start with the list of responsibilities and ask yourself, Why? Why is this task important to this company? Keep digging until you can’t go any further. The true need is usually the one at the end of a chain of whys.

2. Agitate the Problem

Now that you’ve identified the problem, here comes the fun part.

Because no hiring manager has ever said, “I just love paying employees thousands of dollars every year!” your challenge now is to remind him or her how painful the problem is, and by default, how valuable a solution could be. Don’t be afraid to twist the knife a bit, like I did in my second paragraph:

If you’re looking for someone who can not only keep up, but also deliver that SEO-friendly, 75-page street style slideshow five minutes ago…

Notice I didn’t say, “If you’re looking for someone who can turn around projects quickly…” I was specific, and I made sure to use an example I knew would resonate with a stressed-out web editor.

And if you’re new to the industry or the role? Just ask. This is exactly what informational interviews are for. Find someone on the team you’re applying to, let your interviewer do most of the talking, and pay close attention to how he or she discusses the company’s challenges.

In conversation, we instinctively trust people who mirror our body language. On your application, you won’t get the chance—but you can do the next best thing: Pick up on your interviewer’s subtle cues and phrases and then mirror their speaking language in your cover letter.

3. Offer the Solution

By this point, you’ve got the hiring manager squirming at the table. Now, deliver the solution. Hint: It’s you.

Think about what makes you incredibly qualified to solve the problem. In my case, I knew I wanted the hiring manager to think of me and say, “Lisa? Oh, she’s the one who knows our backend systems and seems like a real go-getter.”

4. Close With Confidence

After all that work, you aren’t going to dash off a breathless “Hope to hear from you soon!” right? Instead, seal the deal with a sentence that displays confidence, competence, and a genuine interest in the company:

“I’d love to learn more about your production needs and how I can help!”

Boom. That’s it.