Top Tips To Create A Persuasive Sales Letter

 

 8 Resume Editing Tips

When you're applying for a job, there is no room for sloppy typos or poor grammar. Your resume needs to showcase your professional strengths and qualifications in a way that will capture the attention of the hiring managers. It should present you in the best possible light while also highlighting your distinct traits so that they make you stand out from other candidates. One last thing to keep in mind before editing is that it's important to show mastery of your skills by displaying accolades, awards, and accomplishments rather than listing "experience". This way, the employer will get a more complete picture of you and be able to consider you for a position in which you are most likely to excel. Here are 8 tips that can help you with your resume editing: [1]   [2]   [3]   [4]   [5]   [6]   [7]   [8].

Tip 1: Be clear and concise by avoiding jargon and overabundant adjectives. Jargon refers to words that have been used over and over again in the same context. It can also refer to unprofessional words or phrases such as "excellent", "legendary", "highly regarded", etc, which should be avoided when composing your resume. If you're writing a resume for the first time, it's helpful to review your document without any adjectives. A few adjectives are helpful and not overkill, but they can become too much if there are too many of them. Both of these mistakes can make recruiters feel like you're trying to add fluff to your resume so that you sound like an expert on every topic.

Tip 2: Use action verbs, not just past tense verbs. Your resume should demonstrate what you are capable of doing for the company rather than focusing solely on what you've already done in the past (i.e., "I worked at ABC Company from 1999 - 2005".) This is where action verbs come in handy. For example, use "developed" or "built" instead of "worked". The past tense can be used in a few instances such as when describing duties or responsibilities as well as when describing education details.

Tip 3: Focus on achievements, not tasks or job responsibilities. If you're told to "write a resume", you might write down a chronological list of your jobs and tasks such as: my last job was working the front desk at ABC Hotel, I answered the phones and booked rooms for customers. When actually editing your resume however, make sure to think about what you achieved during these roles. Tasks are not impressive unless they're an achievement of some sort. So, don't submit a resume that lists "i answered the phones at ABC Hotel" as your job history. Instead, think about the skills you developed and learned from these tasks and how those can help you in your next role.

Tip 4: Be brief and to the point. It's great to include all of the facts about your experiences and career growth, but it's sometimes helpful to leave out any details that wouldn't be relevant for you to an employer (i.e., dates, places). Remember that a resume is not solely written for a recruiter or hiring manager; it's also supposed to go in front of a panel of people who will be reading it. So, you should keep your resume concise, but detailed enough so that the reader can see your background and experience in a single glance. If you have been with a company for many years, focus on the responsibilities and achievements that have contributed most to your success at that company.

Tip 5: Be thoughtful in choosing where to place accomplishments throughout your resume. It is usually best to save "accomplishments" for the very end of your resume under "Honors & Awards". The reason why is because it makes sense to discuss what most relevant experience you have related to the job you are applying for in chronological order and saving accomplishments until last will allow employers to focus on those during the interview process.

Tip 6: Don't put too much information on the same page. Use several different pages to keep your resume from being crowded with content. If you have a long list of accomplishments that are relevant to the job you are applying for, then it's acceptable to place this information on your resume in one block on the first page, but be sure not to limit yourself to just 1 or 2 pages!

Tip 7: Be careful about spacing, font size and font type. This tip is more designed for those with dyslexia who sometimes struggle to catch important pieces of information regardless of how it's written. Before submitting your resume, take a moment to check it over and make sure the font type matches your resume style. Font size should be listed in points and fractions (i.e., 9.5 pt). The spacing between each section should feel comfortable for you. Generally, resumes look best when 12 pt is used, but this can vary depending on the size of the paper being used to print it on.

Tip 8: Don't ignore spelling errors or typos! Although grammar mistakes are sometimes considered minor technicalities that won't be noticed by hiring managers, they can destroy your chances of getting an interview or even get you disqualified before the first question is asked. If you do make a mistake, fix it immediately and make sure it's gone from all versions of your resume including on documents sent to the company. Also, be mindful of the fact that some spelling errors or typos might not be picked up by spell check. Be sure to have another set of eyes proofread your document before sending it out!

Tip 9: Use an effective cover letter to explain why you're a match for the position. A cover letter allows you to explain how you are a good fit for the job based on your skills and experience as well as why this particular position interests you over other positions. A cover letter is your opportunity to stand out and write a compelling document that will make the employer want to call you for an interview. If the company provides a specific format for writing cover letters, be sure to follow it to a T.

Tip 10: Be persistent. Make sure that you're as persistent as possible with employers who are looking at your resume. Keep checking back every week or so to see if they have any updates or information regarding your status in their recruitment process. This can be done by just sending an email that says, "I've been following up with ABC Company regarding the Marketing Manager position and I'd like to check in again. Is there any additional information that I can provide for you?"

Tip 11: Don't obscure the key points. If you're using a word processing program such as Microsoft Word, be sure to make all of the text on your resume large enough so that it is easy to read. Some hiring managers might print out your document rather than reading it online, so having your text size increase will prevent them from having to squint when it's printed. Tip 12: Be concise and clear in describing your current situation. Be honest and realistic about what you're looking for right now in terms of career growth and position responsibilities.

Conclusion:

There are tons of tips out there for writing an effective resume, but the most important thing you can do is to be yourself and be honest about your achievements and experiences. Write a document that will best showcase who you are as a person and what you are capable of. Make sure to proofread your resume at every stage of creation, including after printing it out, to ensure that there aren't any mistakes before submitting it!

Tip 13: Be confident in submitting your resume to employers. The most important thing you can do is believe in yourself and all of the work that you have done throughout your career, and then communicate that by presenting an organized, well-written, and informative resume.