If you want to progress to an interview stage, your resume is crucial, and ultimately needs to hook the reader in immediately!

Getting the content right can be a challenge, and most people will say they’ve found it difficult trying to put their professional experience on ‘paper’ ensuring they stand out to a prospective employer.

Regardless of where you are at in your career, be it fresh out of university and trying to present limited experience, or on the other end of the scale where you are trying to condense it, creating a resume masterpiece takes time and effort.

So irrespective of your place on the professional spectrum, there are a few key focus points we hear time and time again from our industry partners. Take these tips on board and you’ll land that dream job in no time:

• KISS rule: Keep It Simple, Stupid! It can be tempting to use all the big words you know in one paragraph, but it is distracting for a reader. Use simple, concise, and direct language so the person reading your resume can focus on your actual experience and skills being presented.
• Keep it Relevant: Always emphasise the education and work experience which is most relevant to the role. If you have limited or seemingly unrelated work experience, try to highlight the transferable skills you have developed. For example, great customer service skills or managing conflict in the workplace, could apply to number of industries or jobs.
• Always Adapt: Don’t be lazy and use the same resume for every job you apply. The reality is different roles will have different priorities so make sure to tailor your resume and cover letter over before sending out. You should be addressing the specific criteria for each job, referencing the company name through and the hiring personal.
• No Essays: Your resume will more than likely be one of many in a huge pile for a business to read/sort through– no one has time to read long essays on your life and wade through pages of waffle. Keep it short, succinct, and total 2-3 pages max!
• Demonstrate Achievements: Make sure you include metrics to showcase how successful you were in a previous role or specific project. This shows your future employer exactly how you contributed to a business, met KPIs and were able to measure success. Never fear, if actual figures were not able to be used, explain how you positively contributed in other ways.

While it’s not an official tip, the Performance Education team’s favourite piece of advice is to enjoy the process. Job hunting can be an emotional but rewarding rollercoaster – take the time to relish in your past successes, achievements and contemplate what your exciting future holds!