4 Simple & Effective Resume Tips

Resumes get you jobs. Resumes lose you jobs. Resumes are powerful tools that need to be regularly sharpened.  

Here are 4 simple and effective resume tips (other than spell checking!!!) to sharpen up your resume:

• Action verbs.  

  • Blah:  Five direct reports.

  • BRILLIANT:  Managed a team of five associates who exceeded departmental goals consistently for the past six months.

  • EVEN MORE BRILLIANT:  (Don’t use the word “manage” again on your resume – use verb synonyms such as:  accomplish, achieve, etc.

  • Blah:  I was able to work directly with clients to discuss their needs.

  • BRILLIANT: Communicated pertinent information on a daily basis with clients in a clear and effective manner. 

  • EVEN MORE BRILLIANT:  Don’t use the word “I” on your resume.  Remove all pronouns.  They are extra words that take away from the substance of the resume

• Proper tense.

  • Current job responsibilities:  Use the present tense.  

    • Coordinate the delivery of assembled tax returns to tax professionals for shipment to the client

  • Past job responsibilities:  Use the past tense.

    • Coordinated the delivery of assembled tax returns to tax professionals for shipment to the client

• Numbers.

  • Bottom line:  How did you help the bottom line?  Explain it with numbers.

  • Numbers are a tangible and descriptive way to showcase yourself in a manner that details the quantifiable contribution you made to your employer(s).

  • Things to consider:  How many people work for you?  What percentage of sales have you achieved in the last quarter vs. the previous quarter?  How did the process you manage save money?   What have you accomplished?  What type of retention rate does your department maintain?

    • Blah:  I manage annual benefits programs.

    • BRILLIANT:  Design the annual benefits programs.  

    • EVEN MORE BRILLIANT:  Designed a benefits program that saved the company over $1.2 million over two years, while maintaining an 87% employee approval rating.

• Updates.

  • Every 3 months, include new responsibilities or skills you’ve obtained.  This way you won’t forget to include the more recent skills as you rush to send out your resume for a new job.

  • Look back on emails you have sent or received:

    • What types of new projects have you worked on?  

    • What new software do you know how to use?  

    • What processes have you recently implemented?

Be honest.  Be ethical.  But don’t be humble on your resume.  

Go on - show off all of your amazing skills!