Make your resume look the absolute best it can be.
Make sure that it is really well designed, it shows a bit of flair, a little bit of finesse. Have a look online for some good resume templates that can help you out in that regard. And also make sure that it is word perfect and I mean WORD PERFECT (although not produced on the ancient word processor called ‘Word Perfect’ for those old enough to remember it!). I’ve got some clients that if they see one typo will not interview a candidate. So make sure that your written and verbal English is absolutely impeccable because you could be rejected purely for that at the end of the day.
Here’s a few of my favourite resume tips:
- Tailor your resume for the specific role that you are applying for. If you can, use the same keywords and emphasize the same skills / traits that the ad calls for in your resume. Don’t emphasize things they are not looking for or aren’t relevant.
- Don’t lie – never put a skill, qualification or trait on your resume that you don’t have.
- If it’s a technical position then include relevant technical detail and make it detailed. Spell it out. Don’t just say ‘Active Directory’, get specific with what you have and can do with Active Directory. A Helpdesk Officer and a Solutions Architect will both have ‘Active Directory’ on their resume, so be specific.
- Don’t rely on a cover letter to match yourself to the job ad. Cover letters often don’t get read, not first anyway. Make sure your CV has all the important stuff which links you to the role and it’s best if that important stuff can be contained in the context of recent study if not employment.
Go re-do your resume. Go make it very special and be prepared to modify it for each role you apply for, so the right things stand out.
Please feel free to hit me up with any thoughts on this. Resume’s can be a whole new and confusing world for grads and there’s plenty more I could say on it.
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