Over the past few years, I have seen thousands of resumes pass by in my work as a headhunter at an executive & interim search firm. In doing so, 2 things strike me, namely that the content is often substandard and the form/layout has not changed substantially in recent years.
Your resume is often the first impression you leave with an organization or agency. Here are 5 tips for the ideal resume:
1. Focus
The ideal resume fits on 1 page! That means you need to focus and prioritize. What you want to show are your goals (WHY), your skills (HOW) and your experience (WHAT). Be critical and remember: less is more. Delete all irrelevant or generic items and describe what is important to your future position, what sets you apart and what you are proud of.
2. Vision
Unfortunately, not many people do it yet, but a vision on your resume is distinctive, shows what you are good at and reflects your ambition. This is the elevator pitch, your own unique selling point (USP). For many people, even experienced professionals, it is very difficult to put themselves down briefly and powerfully in a few sentences. Writing down your own vision is a rock-solid exercise that can also come in handy in a job interview. For example, use Business Model You as an exercise.
3. To-the-point
Be to-the-point in describing your work and omit obvious tasks and responsibilities. So don’t mention as a communications manager that you make the communications plan annually (that may be assumed), but rather what special projects you were responsible for and with what results. Describe context and impact and especially your contribution to them. The STAR method is not only a good conversation technique, but you can also use it to describe your experience.
4. Authentic
Let who you are come back and believe in your own strengths and distinctiveness. Your experience, the way you work, manage and in which environment you are at your best, is unique. Be proud of that and show it in your resume. An extreme but interesting example is the application of a Nina who wants to work at AirBnB: http://www.nina4airbnb.com/
5. Form
The vast majority of resumes are formatted in the standard word template. Little distinctive, then, when there are so many good alternatives. Personally, I am excited about Novoresume https://novoresume.com/, a simple online wizzard that creates beautiful, contemporary resumes. And if even Elon Musk’s resume fits on, you should too!
For even more tips, see also this blog by Novoresume
