What do you look like?

How many jobs have you applied for recently? Have you had any call-backs? What about interviews? There’s no doubt we’re in a time of increased competition for jobs, so, standing out from the crowd is even more important. If you’re not getting any responses from your applications, let alone making it to interview, the chances are you aren’t doing yourself justice. It boils down to what you look like in your profile. Perhaps your resume is a bit long, it may read like a job description or  you aren’t demonstrating your value. You should also think – is your LinkedIn profile falling flat, maybe its time to revamp it? Polishing up your brand is really important, it helps recruiters and hiring managers to visualise having you on the team.  

I know how hard it is to customise a resume for each job application and what it chore it can feel like – do you change a couple of words, or do you change swathes of it? At The Salary Coach I’ve seen some resumes lately that have turned into an unreadable mess as the owner has tuned the resume so many times that it no longer flows. In their mind however, it does flow… that is because they are so close to it. 

Let’s see what you look like in a resume and how you can improve.

Tips for improving your resume pages 

1. Keep the format simple. Your name, email address and phone number should be at the top. Include your location, but not your address. It’s unlikely you will receive anything in the post, and if needed you can provide address details when required. 

2. Aim for no more than two pages. At an absolute stretch you can have three to accommodate referees (available on request), accreditations, certifications and accolades. 

3. Your resume must draw your reader in. Make it pop by building a picture of you so the reader can imagine you being a part of the team (do not include an actual picture of yourself).

4. Start with your professional profile. What makes you, you. This should give the reader an idea as to why they should be interested in you.

5. Spelling and grammar checks are necessary. There is nothing worse than a lazy resume. It’s a sure–fire way of ensuring you miss the cut. Conversely a really well–written and accurate resume will catch the reader’s attention and display your eye for detail

6. Keep the reader front of mind – will they be able to make head and tail of it?