7 Resume-Boosting Tips

Landing your dream job, or even a job that will be a placeholder while you strive for your dream job, starts with a resume. What comes down to a simple sheet of paper can act as either your calling card for a wondrous job interview or fodder for the administration assistant’s office shredder.

The trick is getting your resume to stand out without being too flashy. People in search of a new job need to develop a resume that gets attention and tells the hiring manager that he or she would be making a mistake not to invite them in for an interview. To that end, here are seven resume-boosting strategies:

Reduce to One Page If Necessary

The saying “less is sometimes more” has proven to be absolutely true when it comes to writing up your resume. Even if you have a long list of accomplishments that you’d like to get across to the company, hiring managers simply don’t want to deal with long resumes. Unless you’re shooting for a high-profile, executive type of position, sticking to one page is probably your best bet.

Stand Out Right Away

Back from elementary school, perhaps you remember a simple concept called the “grabber sentence,” a beginning statement designed to catch the reader’s interest right from the get-go. In your resume, the introductory sentence gives you the perfect opportunity to stand out from your competition of potential employees.

Remove Any Falsehoods – Even the Small Ones

While all of us embellish a little on resumes to help us land an interview, lying on a resume is a no-no whether they’re small falsehoods or big, flat-out lies. If an interviewer or employer discovers your deception, which they very likely will, you could find yourself out of the running for a job.

Don’t Include Any Redundancies

Repeating yourself in a resume is one of the worst things you can do, because it looks like you’re simply trying to find some filler for an otherwise bland work history. We would advise that you go through your resume and remove any redundancies of information. Even if it shortens your resume a bit, think of it as being more streamlined – trust us, it’ll be okay.

Use Strong Verbiage… But Not Flowery

There’s no reason to come across as an English professor in your resume (unless that’s the job you’re applying for), so keep your Sophocles-esque, flowery writing to yourself. Instead, use strong verbiage to get your point across and show that you are articulate and well-educated. Oh… and don’t mention Sophocles… that will just make you look pretentious!

Trim the Fat

Many resumes include a lot more information than they need to because the applicants believe that the hiring manager will want to know as much as possible about them before the interview. If it isn’t related to your skillset or accomplishments, then it needs to address the job that you’re applying for. If it doesn’t fit with any of that, then you don’t need it.

Forget About Older Experience

Since a resume primarily focuses on work experience, applicants will often include their entire work history. But, guess what? That job you had right out of high school 15 years ago may have impressed your buddies, but unless it somehow relates to the new job, then you don’t need it.
By using these tips, you’ll help set your resume apart from the pack and be on your way to landing your next great job. Just remember – employers often run background checks on potential applicants. You’ll never regret sticking to the truth on your resume and in your interview.