One thing that people always ask me, is how I never have a problem landing a job. They say that they are always applying and sending out applications, but never being called in for an interview, and don’t understand what they are doing wrong. Some of them have fantastic job experience or a college degree, but never seem to get anywhere. That is when I will ask to see what their resume looks like.
Everyone knows that the key to getting the job is all in the interview. But a common misconception is how important the resume really is. In order to purchase something you have to show the cashier the money first, right? Well think of the resume as your money. In order to get someone excited about you or to take you seriously, you have to give them some reassurance. That is why the resume is just as important as the interview itself.
As soon as I started applying for jobs at 16, I wasn’t getting responses from anyone. Not even McDonald’s, which should have been a shoe in! Luckily I was able to land a good job by referral. So, for my first job, I didn’t need to do much with a resume. That is, until I got to college. I started with a nice resume off of Word and made it look great. This worked perfect for me to get jobs at the mall, coffee stands and etc. That was good for while I was in college, but after I graduated, I was only able to land a barista job at Starbucks.
After applying to everything possible, I realized that I was doing something wrong. I researched ‘ How to get corporate jobs’ on Google for hours, until I landed on resume guidance on Forbes. It explained how important a resume really is. Soon, I found resume examples from Business Insider and The Wall Street Journal. I was able to take these tips and piece together, what became, the ultimate resume. Soon I started having jobs calling me and interviewing me left and right in Seattle. Unfortunately, I realized I didn’t want to work out there and wanted to try to move to a new state. I applied all over Arizona and was offered a job within a few weeks. Soon enough, I was living in Arizona. I job hopped a little, with ease, until I found the fantastic job that I am at now. I did not have to take beginner jobs either. I went from salesman to administrative assistant to sales consultant to executive marketing assistant; all at different places. I proved that you do not have to settle, and you CAN become a company’s’ dream come true.
Creating the best resume:
The first step in creating a fantastic resume is finding the template that you are going to use. I would suggest searching on Google for resume templates that match the job you are looking for. If you are looking for something in business, you can look for something like, “Business resume templates”. This will at least give you websites that can show you ideas of how to format and build your resume. It may sound strange, but different jobs require different styles of resumes.
Your resume should ONLY be one page long. I do not care if you have worked as a ceo for many national companies, it needs to be only one page. You do not want them to remember you as the person that sent them an essay of useless information.
Only include relevant jobs. Do not put that you worked as a Starbucks barista, unless you are applying at a coffee shop or Starbucks corporate. The president of Ford is not going to care that you made coffee at your first job, he is only going to care about your work in the automotive business or of something that goes hand-in-hand with the job you are applying for.
This brings up my next point; don’t put every single job you have ever had on your resume. It is not relevant and is just a space filler. If an employer wants more work history, they will ask you in the interview. But, chances are, they really do not care. If you put good jobs and relevant information, that is all they will be interested in.
A big no-no is adding bright colors to your resume. This does not pertain to a certain job, but to all of them. Do not color the words or try to make fancy script. It makes a resume look like you are back in grade school with one of those goofy presentations with Word Art. It does not present you well.
You need to have some sort of mission statement, or explaination of you as a person that fits the job title. For example, on my resume it says communications & marketing. In that blurb is a fancy way to say that I am good at it. This is another thing that you can use Google for to help you create a good one.
Education is a must. Do not ever put, “Some college”. At least put the year that you attended or the degree you will get someday. It looks a lot better and you can explain it in the interview. Just remember, if you make it look professional, you will still get the interview. If you don’t, it will go in the trash without question.
ALWAYS double check your resume before sending it in. Sometimes the formatting could be off or auto correct missed something.
Put the years you worked at a job instead of the months and dates. This way it will look like you have no gaps in your work history, (College can make that happen), and you can remove irrelevant jobs. You will notice that in mine.
Put a brief description of the company no matter what. If you don’t, they may not look it up or show an interest in you. In mine, a lot of people do not know what The ICEE Company is, so the description helps them realize what it is, or makes them curious enough to look it up.
You need to have contact information. Make a Gmail, it takes five seconds and looks better than having goofy Indeed email. An Indeed email makes it look like you didn’t try and Indeed did all the effort.
My last tip is that you do not need a cover letter unless you are asked. I honestly find them to be a complete waste of time and so do a lot of other companies. The only reason one would ask is because they get a ton of applications, or they are seeing who will really put in the effort to type one out.
There is nothing wrong with making you sound like a badass in your resume! However, do not make it sound that way if it is on something you know nothing about. Employers will look into accomplishments though, so do not lie about them. Other than that, there is nothing else! You just need a badass, confident, professional looking resume and you are in the home stretch! Then all you have left is the interview itself! I will put up a reference for interviewing in another post. I am very proud to say that any interview I have attended, I was offered the job on the spot.
Please feel free to use my resume as an example, but do keep in mind that it is built for a business and marketing position. Also, keep in mind that my tips are just from my experiences. Google can be a massive help and another valuable resource with your job search.
(Sorry my resume won’t format correctly on here. I also removed my personal info. This resume is not current.)
