To ensure your resume stands out (for the right reasons), there are a few things you’ll want to avoid, and some you’ll definitely want to include. Whether to include things like an objective statement, list of skills, and education will depend on your level of experience and industry.
Here are six simple things you should always include on your resume, no matter what:
Contact Information
This may seem obvious – but candidates sometimes forget to include basic information, like their email address, or they bury it at the very bottom. Include your name, phone number, email, and URL to your LinkedIn profile right at the top of the page and you don’t need to include your home address. Some people will include their home and cell numbers but multiple contact choices seems to be confusing. Make it easy for your reader to understand how to contact you.
Keywords from the job posting
You’ll want to include (without making it look like you did a lot of “copying” and “pasting”) some keywords and phrases from the job posting. This is especially important if the employer uses a resume scanning system.
Accomplishments and achievements
Employers need to know what you’ve done to contribute to the growth of your department, team, and company in order to determine if your strengths align with the needs and responsibilities of their company and the job opening
Your career narrative
No matter if you are constructing a functional resume or a chronological resume, some kind of professional history is critical. But make sure your story makes for a more interesting read.
Metrics
Employers need numbers to be able to fully evaluate the scope of your bandwidth. No position is exempt from measuring results. And metrics help employers determine if a person is capable of leading a team, managing clients, or growing the business. Metrics are also a great way to prove your achievements.
Relevant URLS
Depending on the field or position you’re applying for, it may be useful to include links to your work (articles you’ve written, websites you’ve designed, photographs you’ve taken, etc.). Candidates need to show up on paper as though they have already been screened by a recruiter. Today, recruiters and gatekeepers are stretched to the gills and do not have the time to conduct lengthy initial phone screens to understand detailed specific information Knowing that, your goal should be to include enough information using as few words as possible.
