What to look
for in a resume
A
resume gives you the first look at an
applicant’s skills and abilities. There are many
things on a resume that can tell you a lot about
the candidate. The resume length, style,
presentation and substance all come together to
form a picture of the candidate.
Important
things to look for in a resume are the
presentation and content. The presentation can be
seen in the overall layout of the resume. First of
all, a resume should look like the candidate has
put a lot of time and effort into building it. The
document should be on a high quality paper and
neatly printed.
The
resume should look professional and uncluttered.
Is there adequate spacing used in the resume? Are
the sections neatly divided? How has formatting
such as bullets, bold and italic font and
indentation been used? You should be able to
easily navigate the resume to pick out the
important information without having to read
through the whole paper.
If
you are looking to employ a graphics designer, the
layout of the resume will of course be more
relevant than if you are hiring a mail clerk.
The
content is the most significant part of the
resume. Look for any typing mistakes. A typing
mistake could immediately suggest carelessness on
the part of the candidate on this very important
document.
Most
resumes will contain an objectives section on top
of the resume. This section can easily let you see
what the applicant’s goals are. There may also
be a ‘summary’ section to give you an overview
of the rest of the resume. You can use these
sections to see if your objectives match the
applicants.
If
you are still reading the resume, that is a good
sign. The writer has kept your interest by
highlighting his best skills. The top part of the
resume should contain the most vital information,
decreasing in importance as you read down.
The
resume may contain an ‘educational experience‘
section. Does the applicant meet or exceed your
minimum requirement? Additionally, look for any
honors or awards listed here.
Job
experience is the most important part of the
resume for many employers. The most vital
experience to look for would be job similar to the
one you are offering. Look for the job duties
completed in that previous jobs and see if they
match your own. Also look for any major
accomplishments at that job to see what the
applicant can do for you. Details here are good,
such as amount of cash handled or percentage of
productivity increased.
Take
a look at the action verbs. Supervised, organized,
managed, for example can sound great if you are
looking to fill a managerial position. It can tell
you the skills of the applicant through what he
has done in the past. It can display skills such
as decision making, initiative, time and money
management, etc.
An
employer will usually not look at the bottom part
of the resume until he has approved of what he has
just read. Usually employers spend an average of
30 seconds on a resume. Only the ones that stand
out will get the extra attention.
See
if there is any volunteer experience on the
resume. An employee may also add special skills at
the bottom of the resume. For example some people
list multiple languages if they are fluent in
them. If you need the additional skills, that can
be a point in favor of that particular candidate.
The
content of the resume should present skills and
knowledge that the employee can put to use at his
new job. Unnecessary information and rambling
sentences can be a negative on a resume. The
resume should be relevant to the job at hand and
should contain short concise sentences.
The
resume should be created to sell the candidate’s
skills. The best advertisements will get the
highest response.
You
should be able to locate the main keywords and
skills at first glance. The layout should be well
organized. If you are like most recruiters you
will not spend a great deal of time on each and
every resume. You should not have to search the
resume and try to figure out yourself what the
applicant’s objectives and career goals are.
The
overall impression you get is very important. Does
the resume stand out from the rest? Does the
resume present a complete picture and impart
information on the person’s skills, abilities,
and strengths? All this information from a resume
can help you select the best group to interview
and finally select for the job.
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