Download - Secrets to writing a captivating resume
SECRETS TO WRITING A CAPTIVATING RESUME
CCONTENT INSIDE
RESUME ORGANIZATION
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CONTACT INFORMATION
02
PROFILE 03
SKILLS SUMMARY
04
EXPERIENCE SECTION
05
EDUCATION SECTION
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POWER VERBS
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QUICK TIPS
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A typical resume should have the following sections:
• Contact Details• Profile• Skills Section• Work Experience• Education
RRESUME ORGANIZATION
Make sure that your resume is legible and appropriately spaced. Resumes with a lot of words jammed together are almost impossible to read. A resume with lots of empty space and too few words looks basic and with not enough detail. Your goal should be to have an adequate mix of white space and words. Is your resume catching the attention of recruiters in 6 seconds?
USE ADEQUATE WHITESPACE
Your resume must be clearly organized. Separate your resume into sections.
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Did you know? We host Ask A Recruiter session on our City of Edmonton Jobs Facebook page every Wednesday!
CCONTACT INFORMATION
You probably already know that your contact information—which includes your name, address, phone number, and email address—should always appear at the top of your resume, regardless of the resume format you use.
Your name should stand out, so make it bold and a larger font than the rest of your contact information.
Professional E-mail Address
Contact information is the first element recruiters see. Make sure your email address is professional.
Examples:
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
What to include:
Your Name Your Address Your City, Province, Postal CodeYour Phone Number Your Email Address
**Do not include personal information such as: birth date, SIN or a personal photo.
Are you relocating to another city? Remove your current address and simply replace this line with “Re-locating to ______ (city).” This tells the recruiters that you are willing to relocate or are already in the process.
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PPROFILE A POWERFUL INTRODUCTION
Starting your resume with a profile packs a powerful punch. The first thing the recruiter will see is all of your greatest achievements and skills that are directly related to the job posting they need to fill.
JOB POSTING
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Check out our guide to a successful job application! Click Here
Do you have the qualifications for the job? That’s what an employer wants to know. The sooner the recruiter finds this information on your resume, the better. One way to get your point across quickly is to write a skills summary section about your qualifications.
Read the job posting carefully to see what the job qualifications and requirements are.
SSKILLS SECTIONA list of 6 bullet points displaying a range of your most impressive skills and how they relate to the job.
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You should include the following in this section:
• Names of organizations where you were employed.• Positions and/or titles you held.• Employment periods for each job, written as Month/Year.• Showcase your experience highlighting your achievements, not responsibilities.
EEXPERIENCE SECTION
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The best placement depends on what you are trying to emphasize. Place education before experience if you are a recent graduate or have fewer than three years of work experience. Place education at the bottom of your resume if you have three or more years of experience.
Simple tips to follow:
• List your highest level of education first along with your year of graduation.• If you attended college but did not graduate, list the dates you attended.
Make sure to note this degree/diploma is incomplete.• List any certifications and licenses you may have.
EEDUCATION SECTIONEducation is one of the most easiest to write. It’s simple and straightforward.
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AWARDS?
If you’ve won any awards, add an additional area after Education & Credentials to list them.
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You Led a Project
Chaired, Controlled, Coordinated, Executed, Headed, Operated, Orchestrated, Organized, Oversaw, Planned, Produced, Programmed
You Envisioned and Brought to Life a Project
Built, Charted, Created, Designed, Developed, Devised, Founded, Engineered, Formalized, Formed, Formulated, Implemented, Initiated, Introduced, Launched, Spearheaded
You Saved the Company Time or Money
Conserved, Consolidated, Decreased, Deducted, Lessened, Reconciled, Reduced, Yielded
You Increased Sales or Customer Satisfaction
Accelerated, Amplified, Boosted, Capitalized, Delivered, Enhanced, Expanded, Expedited, Gained, Generated, Maximized, Outpaced, Sustained
You Managed a Team
Aligned, Cultivated, Enabled, Facilitated, Fostered, Guided, Inspired, Mentored, Motivated, Recruited, Shaped, Taught, Trained
You Wrote or Communicated
Authored, Briefed, Campaigned, Co-authored, Composed, Corresponded, Critiqued, Documented, Illustrated, Persuaded, Publicized, Reviewed
PPOWER VERBSSince most resumes tend to start with the same words like: managed, handled, responsible for, they don’t have the power to catch the reader’s attention. Use power verbs to spice it up.
LINK YOUR ONLINE PROFILE
READ THE JOB DESCRIPTION
In today’s world you can link your modern resume to your LinkedIn profile, portfolio, website, blog, etc.Many employers may encourage it or even ask for it in the application. You can simply add these links to the contact area. Check out our presentation onbuilding a magnetic LinkedIn profile.
Always read the job description you are applying for.A resume tailored to the job description is more likely to be read by a recruiter than one that is generic. If you haven’t started to tailor every resume to the job you are applying for, now is a great time to start!
QQUICK TIPS
PROOFREAD YOUR RESUMEYour resume is too important to risk an overlooked typo. Ensure it’s flawless. Ask at least 2 people to read and review your resume for spelling and grammar. Don’t submit until you proofread.
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CONNECT WITH US
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/coejobs
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