How to Tweek Your Resume For Employers

THERE ARE.. a few important things you need to know about what to put on a resume, that I've learned throughout the years.. So why do I feel I know a little about this subject?? Other than personally researching resume pros and cons and editing my resume time and time again at my college's career center, I have also had over 50 jobs over the course of my life.. Why so many, you may think?? When one travels the world and has had education in most of their life, it adds up to a lot of part time, temporary and seasonal work.. Now I have heard wide debates about the multi job history verses the solid consistent job history, and I will definitely be going over that in a bit.. So without further ado, here are some of the important things a resume should include... in my opinion, of course.

1. Correct Spelling and Grammar - There is nothing more embarrassing then applying for any job and having an employer find out that you can not spell, write, and furthermore are too lazy to spell check.. Make sure you have another set of eyes look at that resume.. Your eyes can play tricks with you, and like the saying goes, "two eyes are better than one."

2. Single Page Resume - Fitting your resume on one page is a very smart thing in my opinion, because it it easy for the employers to see all of the information at once. Flipping pages can be a hassle, as well as create a break in the employer's mind when parusing over your resume. Having the info always in sight makes it easier to create a mental note or reference. If everything you want on your resume does not fit on one page, I suggest you should try playing around with a couple of fonts or sizes (keep in mind that an employer does not want to read your resume in old english-stlye or cursive), or revise and cut out some of the non-important non-relevant information. All the information should be on a single page, so it is always in front of their nose while they are silently debating to themselves whether you would make a good fit for their company..

3. Bold Words - Again, this is my opinion, but the many interviews I have been on, I've always noticed the employers talk about the subjects where I have a specific word in bold. For example, if I were applying for a management position, I would bold all "managed, manager, managing" words in my experience and skills sections. This seems to strongly stick out on your resume, showing the employer that you have experience in a management role, and catch their attention for discussion.

4. No Reference list - These are your personal references, and shouldn't be just handed or sent out to every job you include a resume with.. A real employer, if interested, will ask for them during an interview process.

5. Relevant Information - Having a few different resumes isn't a terrible thing if you have a lot of, or specific employment history. For instance, a resume with a construction employment background, and an additional resume with a educational employment background (if you have those experiences). Does a construction company really care if you worked at a daycare, or vice verses? In my experience, I found employers like resumes that show relevant experience to the position that is open, as well as lengthy time at an previous employer. If you tried out a couple quickie temp or part time jobs, I would leave them out unless it directly supports the position you are applying for or your employment history is limited. In addition to relevant employment, employers do like to see a little diversity as well(i.e. sales, marketing, and advertising other than just sales). I BELIEVE, that an employee with a diverse employment history shows the employer a more "well rounded" individual verses a employee that has been in one job, one situation, one experience for years.

So these are just a few things I think could help you out on a resume building mission. Just remember that every employer is different from the next, and looks for different things, so its easy for people to write a bunch of "top 10 thing to have on a resume" articles. I have seen some real unorthodox hiring concepts made by employers I have worked for, least to say, like throwing out resumes based on names of colleges, excluding applications that included resumes for a position that they deemed not necessary to have, and based on sexual status.. So don't be discouraged when not receiving responses..