Anatomy of an Appealing Resume

Be yourself. Everyone else is taken! — Oscar Wilde

The goal is to build a resume that will grab the interest of prospective employers in 10 seconds. Why 10 seconds? These days a typical resume or LinkedIn profile is scanned for about 10 seconds (and typically on a mobile device). What can you show a prospective employer in 10 seconds? Think about a Snapchat or a Tweet, that’s how long you have to grab their attention. What’s the best way to create an appealing message with only 10 seconds to sell YOUR brand?

Format your resume in small but powerful bites to be read clearly and quickly. My personal preference and recommendation for recent graduates is to use Chronological formatting. This is the most traditional arrangement, which interviewers tend to prefer. This type of resume lists experiences and education in chronological order, beginning with the most recent.

You could also use Functional formatting when creating your resume. A Functional resume is not necessarily ordered chronologically, but divided by areas of expertise. This type of resume is typically used by those changing careers as it helps hide gaps, skeletons, and age.

Whether you arrange your resume using Chronological formatting or Functional formatting, be sure to maintain the same tense throughout your resume. Past tense works best, even if you are currently in a position performing certain responsibilities. Switching between past and present tense can be jarring and appear unprofessional.

Action verbs are an important component of your resume. Always avoid weak action verbs. Here are a few examples of weak action verbs:

Advised

Participated

Coordinated

Assisted

Counseled

Delegated

Use strong action verbs to highlight your abilities and skills.

Accomplished

Solved

Operated

Managed

Implemented

Designed

Formulated

Created

Composed

For example:

Don’t write: Assisted with creating a system for weekly activity reports.
Do write: Developed a system for weekly activity reporting.

The way you convey the content of your resume is just as critical as the content and its formatting to make the right first impression.

How to Arrange Your Resume

Contact Information: Limit your contact information to just one email address, and use one that’s professional sounding. Using sweet_kid97@aol.com or sportguy94@yahoo.com is a big NO. Create a contemporary Gmail address: yourname@gmail.com. Include one reliable phone number and your customized LinkedIn profile URL. If you have an online portfolio, include the link for that as well. Residential addresses aren’t needed, although it can be helpful to list your region (for example, Boston, MA), so the employer knows you’re located near the open position.

Summary and/or qualifications: You don’t need a Professional summary, because your resume is the summary. If you feel that you need to have a Summary, then use this section as a corral for the first 8–10 keywords from your list.

If you don’t have a long list of professional experience, start your resume with your education. This should be followed by any relevant internship experiences. If you have no relevant experience, then include a list of relevant courses and projects.

Professional experience: For each experience (professional, part-time, internships) in this section you should include:

Name of the employer
Description of the organization
Position, Title
Responsibility
Accomplishments

Computer literacy, languages: In this portion of your resume include any accreditations or licenses that are required. Highlight any awards or honors you have received. You should list any active memberships and reference your community involvement.

Personal Interest section: Don’t include your age, race, religion, national origin, or marital status. This doesn’t add value to the resume. Keep it sharp and to the point.

References: The purpose of references is to support your credentials and sell your candidacy. Include them ONLY if the organization is serious about your candidacy and you are interested in the opportunity. Contact your references in advance and make sure they have a copy of your resume and a short description of the position you’re applying for. Prepare a minimum of 3 professional references. Professional references include managers, teachers, and mentors.

As you work on your resume, keep your reader in mind and remember his/her basic concern: Will this candidate add value? If you answer effectively (by highlighting relevant skills, personal characteristics and accomplishments), your resume will generate interviews.

Tip: REFERENCES is not a part of the resume; keep the resume to one page if possible. If you have a two-page resume, make sure to include your name and a page number in either a header or footer.

Audit Your Resume

1. Do you have a professional email address?
If you want to be perceived as a professional, you must use a professional email address that’s reserved for your job-seeking activities.

2. Does your resume include a customized link to your LinkedIn profile?
Most employers use LinkedIn not only to search for job candidates, but to evaluate job candidates as well. A link to your LinkedIn profile on your resume will help them find you more easily. In LinkedIn, you can customize your profile URL to personalize it.

3. Is your summary full of strong keywords related to your industry?
Don’t be cliché by telling employers how you’re a great team player. To successfully impress potential employers, reference a time when you worked on a team and were able to deliver great results.

4. Do you mention high school?
Don’t. Focus on highlighting your accomplishments and the work experience that took place during your college career and beyond that directly support your job goals.

5. Is your GPA listed?
Only list your GPA on your entry-level resume if it’s a 3.0 or higher.

6. Do you include your selling points?
Make sure to communicate what you’ve done by using details — top achievements, their outcome, the amount of sales or savings, and size of contracts, for example. Keep it short but powerful.

7. Have you bulleted the most important information?
Use bullet points to draw attention to the information you believe recruiters will care most about. Remember, your resume has only 10 seconds to make the right impression.

8. Have you listed relevant skills?
Do you have the technical skills they expect you to possess for the job? If you keep seeing a skill or tool mentioned that you don’t know much about, look for free online courses on the topic to gain the basic skill.

9. Are references included in your resume?
If you’re an entry-level professional, you only get one page of resume real estate — don’t waste it by adding references or the phrase “References available upon request.” Employers usually won’t ask for this information until you make it to a face-to-face interview, and they know you’ll provide it if they request it.

I hope this guide is helpful to get you started on creating a successful resume and selling your brand. Happy job hunting. Remember to be yourself and be honest.