Revamping your resume can help your career search

Spring is here at last! One gets the urge to clean out closets, wash windows and tidy up the yard. It’s also a great time to apply the same concepts to your job search, more particularly focusing on cleaning up your resume.

Your resume is the first and most important impression of who you are. Take pride in that and use it to portray why you’re the best candidate for the job. If your resume is confusing and overloaded with information, people will assume that you aren’t entirely sure what you do or what you want to do. Don’t make that mistake. Use your resume like a targeted arrow by clearly pinpointing what makes you suitable. Here are some tips:

• Ensure your resume communicates your career objectives with a descriptive headline. If you’re moving from one department to another within the same industry, be sure to clearly define this.
• Avoid the fancy layout, font, and other special effects. Stick to the traditional font of Times New Roman, 9 to 12-point size, and keep it black and white. You might try a different type size for your name and the companies you have worked for, perhaps your title. But try to be consistent. Go easy on using bold type, italics, and underlining.
• This is also a good time to consider the usefulness of early experience. For jobseekers with 10 years or more of experience, this may mean creating an ‘early career’ section that briefly summarizes the previous experience.
• If your resume is more than two pages long, tighten it up. Today’s trends in our world of Twitter and shortness state no more than two pages for even the most senior-level professional.
• Start a brag file. Gather testimonials, letters of recommendations, project highlights, and so forth. Think about how they might be included in your resume.
• Every employer out there values accuracy and attention to detail. So before you save your resume (or even worse, send it) check it over again. And again. Then get someone else to check it for you. Make sure that there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, it's written in a consistent tone and tense, and above all, the information is correct.

A great resume will go a long way towards getting your ideal job. A poor one is a sure way to miss out on it. There's no doubt that you will do everything possible to be the best candidate you can be. Make sure that your resume is the best it can be too.

Freshen up your image
Now might be the time to do an overhaul of your personal and professional image as well. You’ve refreshed your resume. Now, how do others see you?

• Everyone has their own dress style that they are comfortable in. However, trying a new fashion item may be a new color blouse, will give you a new sense of confidence. You may also want to consider having an outfit reserved for interviews or important meetings. Keep the overall look professional.
• Now that you dress the part, make sure that your personal image compliments your look. Maybe try a new hairstyle? Don’t forget to smile that’s the best image assurance you can ever have!

So, there you have it! Spring is indeed a time of renewal. Wouldn’t it feel good to know that along with your clean windows and tidied-up garage, your resume is in order and your job search can start! Good luck!

Step up and make that move in your career today! Our recruitment consultants specialize in finding you IT jobs, Finance jobs, Engineering jobs, Supply Chain jobs, and Freight jobs. Visit our vacancy page and apply directly online or contact us and we will assist you as best as we can.

Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net by iosphere