How to perfect your resume for the next hiring season

We all know that having a crazy good resume does wonders for the job search. Applying for a job with a perfect resume is like putting on your best clothes for a first date – it will make an amazing first impression. But not every resume that enters the candidate pool leaves with a request for a job interview.

Every week, we receive a large number of resumes that are in dire need of help. So, we know a lot about what job seekers do wrong with their resumes. That’s why we thought of creating this article to help you job seekers create the perfect resume for the coming hiring season.

Put your best stuff “above the fold”

“Above the fold” is a term often used to describe the first thing you see when opening a website, before scrolling. The first thing an employer sees when they look at your resume should be your name. Make your name really pop on the resume. Add a resume headline right below your name and enrich it with a few keywords. Below your resume headline goes the contact information. Mention your phone number, email address, city and state, and a link to your LinkedIn profile. Follow this with a killer resume summary that highlights your best professional achievements.

Let your education shine

If you are a recent college graduate or someone who has been working for less than 3-4 years, you will benefit greatly from a detailed education section. Let your education have a prominent place on your resume. Start with your most recent educational experience and work your way backward. Each of your education entries must mention the qualification, college, location, and relevant years. If you want, you can expand the education section by mentioning related coursework as well as academic achievements.

Jazz up the work experience section

Does your career summary have cobwebs from the last time you cleaned it up back in 2015? Then, it is time to completely rewrite your work experience section. The career summary is the most important section of a resume. Follow a reverse-chronological order and list your most relevant and recent work experience in this section. Each of your job entries must consist of the job title, company name, location, relevant years, and a brief description of the role followed by killer bullet points describing your achievements. Read this article to learn about how to write awesome bullet points to describe your achievements.

Write a snappy key skills section

A resume is only as good as the keywords you mention in it. The key skills section is the best place to incorporate keywords into your resume. Ensure that you select the most relevant skills for the position by referring to the job description. Choose 10-15 relevant skills and highlight them using bullet points on your resume. Some candidates place the key skills section higher up on their resumes so that employers see those first when they do a resume review.

Add additional resume sections

You can make your resume unique by incorporating additional resume sections. Additional resume sections are not just filler sections that you use to fill the white space on your resume. When used right, these sections will add so much value to your resume. Create a few additional resume sections such as Languages, Hobbies and Interests, Volunteer Work, Projects, Patents, Conferences, and Publications. You can use these sections to incorporate more keywords into your resume. Also, the achievements you mention in each section will be proof of your job-related skills.