Looking for a new job can be daunting. Whether you are currently employed and looking for something different, or you are unemployed, the search is never fun. The first step to finding the job of your dream is to polish your resume. If you are considering making a quick update and calling it a finished product, think again.
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Chances are you can improve your resume quite a bit
Target Your Dream Job
No one wants to hop around. If you are ready to job hunt, aim for a position that meets your goals. If you don’t find something you can always widen the pool, but for now, target what you would consider your dream job. It is tempting to just submit your resume everywhere. In today’s online world it is easy to do. Taking the time to personalize and add targeting information for the position you want is worthwhile. It may take a little longer to find work, but you want a position that you are satisfied with. If you are worried about finances while you are unemployed, there are some things you can do. If you qualify for unemployment, you should take advantage of that. If you are paying off student loans, consider refinancing to a lower interest rate or extend your terms in order to save money. You may need to make some other cuts to your budget, but finding a great job is worth it.
Look at Requirement for the Job
Carefully read the requirements for your dream job. You want to be sure that your resume contains these keywords. The first pass may not even be seen by an actual person. Automated processes will weed out applicants who do not include the necessary keywords.
Speak in Numbers and Facts
Don’t be afraid to be specific and take credit for your accomplishments. It may seem like bragging as you are writing, but it won’t seem like that to the reader. Remember, the person doing the reading is looking for someone to fill a position. If you are the best person, you need to communicate that. While you do want to include your skills, also including accomplishments that are easy to quantify to make your resume stand out. Let the reader know that you increased sales by a certain percentage or that you worked on a particular software project, and the languages you used to do so. The more specific you can be, the better your resume will be. Short, easy to skim sentences work best. You should also format it so it is easy to read both online and when printed.
Ask Others to Review Your Resume
Once you have gone over your resume multiple times, adding, editing, and reworking it until you are satisfied, you are almost ready to send it out. First, you want someone else to review it. When you work on something closely, it is difficult to see errors. Have someone else read it and ask them to point out any weak spots. If you have a friend working in HR or hiring, they are the perfect person to ask. That’s not always possible, but even having your spouse look it over is a good idea.
