Resume Tips by Rocio Solaire Roca 

With the rate of unemployment on a rise, the job marketplace is becoming tougher each day. The competition is tough! Interviewing can become exhausting and can take a toll on your self esteem. Your resume is the most important document you’ll submit in your job search. Your resume will speak for you before you go in front of the interviewer. So you might be great at your trade. You might have the education and the skills that fit the job description but if you don’t have a great resume, you might lose a great opportunity. So, let’s discuss some simple and effective resume tips.

Throughout my career I have seen thousands of resumes. I have learned what works and what doesn’t. Some  simple tips and editing  can have a huge impact on whether or not you get hired. And you don’t have to hire a third party and spend hundreds of dollars to build a decent resume. 

Tip #1 Professional Email address

One thing I see a lot in my line of business when I interview people, are improper email addresses. Please make sure you open up an email address designated only for your job hunting. This is free. It will not cost anything. I have seen everything from  email addresses with sexual innuendos, names of narcotics, and derogatory words. You name it and I have seen it all!  (Dragon Trunks, Pothead420, can’t make this up) The wrong email can make you miss out on a job interview.

Tip #2 Update Your Resume

Keep a resume template but depending on the different roles you are applying for, have several resumes handy. And Always keep your resume updated with your current role. I can’t tell you how many people I interview and give me an old resume to which they point out “oh right now I’m doing xyz but it’s not in my resume. I have to update it”.  Guys, this one makes you look very disorganized to the interviewer. Your current  job is not guaranteed. You should be updating your resume and adding new skills that you might be learning and include any promotions. You should always be shopping around and always know your value in the current job marketplace. 

Glassdooor is a great resource and a job placement website  you can use for free. They show previous employee ratings and anonymous reviews about companies’ culture and benefits.  They also have tools that tell you what others in your position are paid.

Tip #3 Proofread

 Please please please proofread! If you happen to interview with  a grammar freak like me, you will not get the job just based on the fact that there are grammar errors on your resume. My business consists of sending lots of written communications to customers and every communication that gets sent out represents me!  I get that sometimes when you’re staring at this document for hours your eyes start to get tired and you overlook punctuation errors. So try to forward your resume to a third party to help you review. There are also several websites that proofread your documents for free. Grammarly is a good source.

Tip #4 BRAND your name 

Your name should stand out.  Make sure your name is typed in big bold letters. Believe it or not, I have been told I got an interview because my name was attractive. True story. Make your name stand out and there will be a better chance of you getting a call. Sometimes I pile up 100 resumes and maybe I’m looking for a particular one and if it happens to be one with a small, dull font, I might miss it. 

Tip#5 Keywords

Make sure you read the Job description carefully and highlight those keywords onto your resume. For example if part of the job description is ability to multitask, make sure you add this to the skills section of your resume.

Tip # 6 Beyond duties and skills

The best resumes highlight results. Highlight your accomplishments rather than your experience.The interviewer wants to know that you get things done. Rather than a narcissistic list of qualifications, your resume should reflect more of your accomplishments.

Tip #7 Chronological order

The current or last job should be first on your list. I often see resumes that are all over the place. Again, this looks messy and makes you seem unprepared. Your education should also be listed in chronological order starting with the most recent one on top. 

Tip #8 1 or 2 pages

I personally have a 2 page resume. Once you reach a 20 year career, it’s impossible to have a one page resume. But make sure you list the most important skills and certain keywords on the first page. The interviewer will concentrate on the first page and probably only glance at the second page. 

Tip #9 Format

Your document should be uniform. If you use bullet points, they should be perfectly aligned. Everything should be spaced out evenly and the font size should all match. There are tons of free resume templates online. GOOGLE them!

Tip #10 Contact

Make sure your phone number is accurate and make sure the voicemail is set up and sounds professional. Oh if I had a dollar for everytime I receive a resume with an invalid phone number! An employer will only try to call once and if the number is disconnected or the mailbox is full, they will shred your resume right away.

Do not keep your resume only in your hard drive at work, and DO NOT use your work email to apply for another  job! This can cost you your current job!

That’s all for today. Please join us every week and follow our LovinGotham IG page and our YouTube Channel for our weekly Successful Tuesday TIPS!  

Good luck with your job hunting!