Ten ways to build a better resume today

by Angela Copeland | Jul 11, 2016 | Advice, Newsletter, Resume Writing

Having a great resume is an important part of the job search process. But, it can go wrong quickly if you’re not careful. Below are a few tips to help you spruce up your resume today.

1. Use just your first and last names only. And, use the first name you go by on a daily basis. As strange as it sounds, your resume is more likely to get attention with the name “Chris” than with “Christopher.” Here are 13 surprising ways your name can have an impact on your success. Quite a few are unfortunate, but they are good to be aware of.
2. Update your e-mail address. If you have an e-mail address that ends in @aol.com, @comcast.net, or any other e-mail extension from the 90s, it’s time to get a new one. Don’t worry; you can keep your old e-mail, but take it off your resume. By keeping an AOL e-mail address, you’re telling the company right up front that you’re behind on technology.
3. Leave your age out of it. Drop your graduation years off of your resume. If you’ve been working for many years, consider dropping an old position or two. And, be sure your e-mail address doesn’t contain your birth year, your graduation year, or any other year tied to your age.
4. Include a phone number that’s local to the city where you live. It’s not unusual to have an area code in a city on the other side of the country. In fact, it makes sense. Why would you change your cell phone number? But, you do want to be sure companies realize when you are in fact local. Rather than paying for a new number, check out Google Voice. They’ll give you a local number that redirects to your existing cell phone. It’s free and easy to use!
5. Leave off your GPA. If you are more than a few years out of college, it is rarely appropriate to include your GPA or other test scores on your resume. Unless you’re in a very specific field where this is the norm, nix these details from your resume.
6. Include results. Don’t just tell them you’re a great salesperson. Share your sales numbers. Include the percentage that you beat your goals by last year. Show the incremental revenue you generated. Stating your results in terms of numbers allows someone outside your company to truly understand the scope of your role.
7. Look for typos. One of the quickest ways to lose a job opportunity is to have misspellings in your resume. Here are a few of the most common misspelled words.
8. Check your formatting. It’s very important that your resume is easy to read. Mismatched formatting can make it impossible for the reader to understand your resume. Check to be sure every job is formatted in the same way. Every piece of educational history should be formatted the same way, etc.
9. Save your resume as a PDF. It sounds weird, I know. But, when you e-mail your Microsoft Word resume to someone else, there’s a 50-50 chance it will look the same on their screen as it does for you. Worst case, your two page resume is four or five pages, with big font. The simple step of saving as a PDF ensures that your resume will look the same for them as it does for you.
10. As a friend to proofread your resume. Pick someone who works in a different industry than you. You’d be surprised at just how many things you’ll include are specific to your industry. If your friend is confused, a recruiter will be too. Take the time to do this step and your resume will be easier to read for more people.

A resume is a critical piece of your job search. In addition to these ten tips, my eleventh tip is: do your resume yourself. Stay away from a resume writer who doesn’t know your work history. As annoying as it is, there’s value in you working through your own resume improvements. On top of ensuring everything is accurate, you will have the opportunity to think through your personal brand. If you do need help, reach out to a career coach (like me) who can work WITH YOU to make the improvements to your resume.

I hope these tips have helped you. Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to improve your job search. If I can be of assistance to you, don’t hesitate to reach out to me here.

Also, be sure to subscribe to my Copeland Coaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher where I discuss career advice every Tuesday! If you’ve already heard the podcast and enjoy it, please consider leaving a review in Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland
@CopelandCoach

Making your resume stand out

by Angela Copeland | Jan 13, 2014 | Advice, Newsletter, Resume Writing

Having a great resume won’t get you the job, but having a bad one will prevent you from getting an interview at all.  The purpose of your resume is to quickly tell a story about your career, who you are, and what you’re looking for next.  It helps potential employers determine if you’re a fit, and it helps your network to scope out new opportunities for you.

If you’re thinking of looking for a new job, updating your resume is the first place you should start.  Ideally, keep your resume up to date even when you’re NOT looking, so that you’re prepared when something great comes along.  It will also help to ensure that you don’t forget important accomplishments.

Many clients that I work with are unsure of where to begin.  Compiling your life’s work on one or two pages is stressful and can cause many people to avoid creating a resume altogether.  The good news is that once you have a solid resume, maintaining it is fairly simple.  Think of the initial painful setup as an investment (in your future!).

Here are five tips to get you started:

1. Look at other resumes for samples, and then create your own.  Stuffing your career history into a ready made template can often look awkward, and can be hard to update with your details.
2. Include your objective or profile statement.  Many candidates forget this section (or avoid it). The objective communicates what kind of job you’re looking for to potential employers and your network.  It’s essential.
3. Keep your resume to one or two pages max.  Beyond two pages, nobody will read it and you will look unfocused. If you’ve been working less than three years, keep it to one page. Beyond that, you can go with one or two pages.  If you have two pages, be sure to include pages numbers.
4. Don’t use fonts smaller than 9 point. Employers don’t want to strain to read your resume.  Cut the details down to what’s really important and you won’t need to squeeze so much onto the page.
5. Include measurable results. Explain your impact in terms of quantifiable numbers.  How many people did you manage? How much money did you save? How many campaigns did you work on? How much did you exceed your goals? Putting numbers alongside your experience magnifies your impact.

I hope these tips have helped you.  Visit CopelandCoaching.com to find more tips to make your resume the best ever.

Happy hunting!

Angela Copeland

@CopelandCoach