Issues > Winter 2012 > Columns > Know-How > Ways to Rock Out Your Résumé

Ways to Rock Out Your Résumé

In high school, we gazed wearily at a blinking cursor attempting to make enough sense of a topic to turn words into an essay. Now, that flashing line haunts us in an entirely new way – the résumé. For most of us, our résumé is the ghost that haunts us the second we graduate, but it doesn’t have to be. The basics are, well, pretty basic.

Hopefully at this point, certain key factors are understood when compiling your credentials in résumé form. Valid contact information, higher education, professional or otherwise related experience, various skills and assets, achievements and awards are the vital organs inside the body of your résumé. If you lack the professional experience, but have the education to back you up, or vice versa, always remember to list your strongest assets and skills first. Start your résumé off strong and keep the strength steady throughout. These are all tips and tricks that are learned throughout a person’s career and through research. You can hire a professional to write your résumé for you, or you can take it upon yourself to make your résumé shine brighter than the rest in the inevitable pile. With a little research, you can figure out the basics.

Let’s be honest, though, you pretty much already know how to do what I mentioned above. That is the easy part. The hard part is standing out from the crowd and becoming Waldo in the world of job applications. In other words, make the job look for you.

This is how it’s done.

With the advent of employment search engines such as Career Builder and Monster, it is as simple as uploading a résumé and clicking send. If you think this is easy, then so do all the other people clicking that same submit button. Take the time to find the appropriate contact information of the company for which you are applying and alert them to your application. Find out names, titles and while you’re at it, ask them a couple of pertinent questions. Such as: “Would you prefer that I submit a cover letter to accompany my résumé?”

Often times, employers completely disregard cover letters, other times they are vital. If a cover letter is preferred, keep it simple and show the professional version of your personality. Prove your knowledge of, not only the company, but also the position for which you are applying. Use the same keywords that the posting references, and briefly summarize what they are about to see in your résumé. If a cover letter is not required, fit in a brief summary at the top of your résumé.

Next question: “Is there anything specific you would like me to include in my résumé?” This is one of those questions that are so obvious, it’s not. Catering your résumé to the company for which you are applying is a rock star move. Why not find out exactly what is wanted directly from the source?

Whomever you are applying with probably doesn’t need to know you babysat the gremlin next door or took your neighbor’s poodle for a walk when you were fifteen. Keep the previous work recent and related. What is included in your résumé depends highly on your field. Know your industry and the types of résumés sought after. Keep in mind that the goal is to fit everything comfortably on a single page. No employer has time to read every word of every résumé they receive. Anticipate skimming.

On the flip side, make sure what you have left is well-written, succinct, clear and most importantly, human. We’re all guilty of overusing thesaurus-suggested words we don’t understand and as tempting as it may be to do this, try to keep it at a minimum. You don’t want your résumé to sound like corporate jargon just as much as you don’t want it to sound like a text message.

The issue with those various employment and classified websites mentioned above is not only weeding through the mislabeled job titles and spam, but also keeping in mind that several of the larger companies (and sometimes even the smaller ones) use services that scan the résumés for keywords before they are even submitted. In other words, your résumé could get thrown out before a company ever has their hands on it. Especially in more specialized careers, it is always better to network and find an “in” before you attempt to submit your résumé. Your personal “hire me” flyer will get an immediate spot on the top of the pile if a current employee is the one handing it to HR.

In the event that you are able to physically drop off your résumé, bring your A-Game. Dress in interview attire and turn your résumé into a unique creation. Ditch the 8 ½ x 11-copy paper for something that your future boss can’t ignore. Whether it’s a typographic poster if you’re a graphic designer, your best frame-ready photograph on the back if you’re a photographer or a piece of etched fabric if you’re a fashion designer, use your imagination to blow the competition away.

If you are unable to hand over your résumé in person, there are still ways to rock out the creativity. Have your résumé professionally designed, but keep in mind that it still needs to print beautifully on a basic printer. And, of course, it must be legible.

One up the references requirement and include several recommendations from important people throughout your career. LinkedIn has a great recommendation feature – use it to your advantage. If possible, attend career-related seminars and events and include the most impressive to your résumé. Many cities have a variety of clubs that cater to your industry, join as many as you can handle and throw those on your résumé as well. Don’t forget to note any awards or achievements your club has won – especially if you had any part in it. For a great space-filler, make sure you add any community involvement and volunteering especially if you can work it into the position requirements. If you have received any certifications or taken supplemental classes or workshops, those are also résumé-worthy. And, of course, multilingual is always attractive to potential employers.

(Bonus: Don’t just list your daily duties beneath the names of previous employers, talk briefly about the impact you made on the company as well.)

Craving more résumé tips and other know-how?
Check out Bri’s blog posts for supplements to this column and a dose of advice and inspiration.

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