SIU PRSSA Southern Illinois University Public Relations Student Society of America
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Your resume is your first opportunity to present yourself to a potential employer, so it is important to make your resume stand out from others. When writing your resume, you should look for keywords in job postings, make your resume clear and brief, provide the most important information first, and proofread it multiple times.
Indeed, a site for job seekers to search for jobs, post resumes, and research companies, states the best place to start for writing a resume is reading the job postings carefully. The job description will have many keywords that include the skills and knowledge needed for that position. These terms should be used on your resume where relevant. Pay attention to these keywords under “Requirements” and “Qualifications” because if there are particular skills that an employer is looking for, add these terms to your resume.
A resume should be clear and straightforward. Employers look through resumes very quickly, so readability is crucial. This also means you should have a professional, clean font. Each section of the resume should be short and concise. Employers will consume more information about you if only the most key and relevant information are included, and they will understand your skills and qualifications for the position more quickly. You should try to keep your resume to one page unless there is a valid reason such as an extensive career or applicable work experience.
While you should keep your resume brief, do not leave out any key information. Put the most important information first and leave out old or irrelevant information such as a job that was held many years ago. You want to draw more attention to key skills and achievements, so put this important information higher on your resume. Connecting back to reading the job posting, try to include only work experience, achievements, education, and skills that are most relevant to the job position.
One of the most important tips for writing a resume is to proofread and edit. A hiring manager may automatically dismiss your application because of a careless grammatical error. You should undergo several rounds of proofreading to make sure there is no spelling or grammatical errors. There are many proofreading tools you can use, but it is very helpful to have trustworthy colleagues or friends to look it over for you.
You are selling yourself and your skills to an employer, so make your resume clear and simple but add the information that makes you stand out from other recipients.
