“Resume Tips I Have Learned As A Recruiter At A Fortune 100 Company”

In the US, the pandemic threw more than 20 million people out of work and unemployment rates spiked to nearly 15%. It’s an unprecedented level not seen since data collection started in 1948, according to the Congressional Research Service.

So in these miserable times, looking through your resume, building a nice portfolio, or rethinking the way you present yourself in your CV may be a top priority. But without realizing it, we all make similar resume mistakes when seeking a job and the good thing is that they can be easily avoided.

Thanks to the Twitter user Sli, who shared a handful of useful resume tips she learned while working as a recruiter at a Fortune 100 company, we now know the biggest faux pas that may cost us the place. Take notes, kid, ‘cause you don’t want to miss any of this.

To find out more about what it takes to perfect your resume, Bored Panda reached out to Dawn Moss, the founder of “Your Interview Coach” that helps both  candidates and hiring managers through the complexities of the recruitment and selection process.

Dawn has worked as an in-house recruiter for 12 years, screened approximately 1 million CVs, and interviewed over 10,000 candidates for 100s of vacancies. From her experiences, “One of the biggest mistakes (and totally avoidable) is not tailoring the resume to the job,” she said.

“I understand it's a full-time job looking for work and tailoring a resume takes a little more time and effort. And, that's two reasons for tailoring; the recruiters screening resumes will know instantly that someone has taken the time and made the effort, which demonstrates an interest and a pride in their application.”

But for most of us, creating a good resume may be a truly daunting task. You never seem to know what the employee expects, and end up either guessing (sometimes in the wrong direction), or not caring too much and pressing the send button too early.

Dawn suggests not to hurry and take the time to review all the information you have available about the job and the company. “This will help you be selective about the information you share,” the interview coach explained.

Secondly, never underestimate the power of the introduction. “Include a relevant, punchy, and concise opening paragraph (summary or profile on the resume).  Some hiring managers will read this first and won't bother reading the rest if it's not tailored or relevant to the job.  It needs to grab the reader's attention and entice them to read on.”

Thirdly, you may wanna keep the essays deep in your drawer. Dawn recommends keeping the information “concise and easy to read and pick out key information relevant to the job you are applying for.”

In the end, looking for a job is indeed a full-time job not to be taken lightly if you want some good results.