3 Things EVERYONE Needs To Know About Resumes

1. Your Resume Should Be Strictly Fact-Based

If your resume has any adjectives or any other subjective terms, you need to hit the "Delete" button ASAP. Employers and recruiters are looking for hard facts and skills. They are NOT looking for subjective statements like "hardworking team player" or "results-driven." Why should the employer believe you? They don't know you. You haven't given them any evidence, any quantifiable accomplishments to support those statements.

Employers don't care who you say you are. They want to know what you've done in your career that makes you a good fit for the job.

So, let's stick to the facts, shall we? Only list hard skills and quantifiable accomplishments, please. Your resume will be much better just after following this first tip. Trust us.

2. You Need To Create A Custom Resume For Each Position

Each role you apply for likely has slightly different requirements. You need to tailor your resume to meet those individual needs based on what the job description says. If your resume doesn't have the appropriate keywords or a sufficient keyword density, you run the risk of getting filtered out by the mysterious (and flawed) applicant tracking system (ATS).

Instead, create a master resume with all of your work experience and qualifications. Then, copy and paste the relevant information into a new resume that's tailored to the position to which you're applying. That way, you can keep everything organized in one document.

This will make it easier for you to customize accordingly and get your resume past the ATS. And, you'll know you're submitting the best resume possible to each job opening.

3. Your Resume Isn't Going To Get You The Job

A huge misconception is that creating a flawless resume will get you the job. Hate to break it to you, but that's just not the case. The purpose of your resume is to present your qualifications and hard skills. Recruiters and employers don't have time to waste interviewing applicants who don't showcase the right skills on their resume from the get-go. Your resume is a way for them to filter candidates based on their credentials alone.

So, stop spending so much time and money on resume writers or filing up every inch of your resume yourself, believing that is the key to getting hired. A resume just needs to get employers to say "yes" instead of "no." That's all it needs to do.

What will get you hired is your personality, aptitude, and experience, which will shine through in the interview process.

Many job seekers don't know these three resume tips, and it often hurts them in their job search. We hope you use these resume tips as you look for your next job or make a career change. Remember: It's all about listing your hard skills and quantifying your accomplishments!

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This post was originally published at an earlier date.