Writing the Perfect Resume

Writing the Perfect Resume

By Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter
I am not a resume writer but I have read more than 700000 resumes that we were able to count when I did recruiting. Here are more than 16 things you should do to write a great resume.

[00:00] Introduction
[01:11] 1-5
[02:43] 6-10
[04:12] 11-15
[05:59] 16+
[06:18] Outro

The Dirty Dozen Resume Mistakes

This is Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter. They called me The Big Game Hunter  when I still did recruiting. I would hunt down leaders and staff organizations. Did it for a long time and filled a lot of positions. Now I’m hired for no BS career advice globally. That can relate to a job search, hiring more effectively, managing and leading better, help with workplace issues. Holistically, it’s the lifecycle of you and your career and the issues that surface from it.

Now, I didn’t write resumes, I read them, and we quantified over 700,000 resumes that I read, and there were a lot that we didn’t count from my earlier years. But from the time we started counting, it was over 700,000 resumes. So I’m not a writer. I’m a reader. I’m a consumer. I’m someone who talked to companies, about their preferences in resumes. And I have a list of things that should go into a great resume that most of you don’t do.

Now, the first thing I want you to consider doing is using a resume writing service. I’m not soliciting that business. I don’t write resumes, nor am I going to recommend a firm. But consider hiring a professional resume writing service, because many of them do very good work and will save you time, even though it will cost you some money. Assuming that you don’t want to do that, here are some things that you want to do. First thing is use a clear, professional format. No templates, you can imitate a template, but don’t use templates, because many of them use frames that make it difficult for applicant tracking systems, which I hate, by the way, to parse resumes from. So don’t use a template, imitate it. And in writing the resume, keep your formatting consistent throughout the document. Of course, tailor your resume to the specific job you’re submitting it for. Also, think of it for the kind of job that you’re qualified for even if you’re not applying, or the kind of job that you’re trying to get for yourself, that might be the best way to describe it. Use keywords relevant to the job you’re marketing yourself for, because that’s going to attract the reader to you and attract the applicant tracking system to recognize it and the earlier in the document the better.

As you’ve probably heard, use action words to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments. No one needs to use the term team player in any resume. Got that? Use numbers and statistics to quantify your achievements. Statistics can include money made, money saved, percentage improvement over what previously existed. Include your education certifications, licenses, any relevant work experience, including internships and volunteer work. The fact that you worked on I don’t know, something obscure like you sold pool equipment back in the day when you were 19 years old– No one cares about that unless you’re going you want to enter into a conversation about a sales position and demonstrate that you’ve done some sales. But no one cares about stuff that you did when you’re 19 unless you’re 20. Limit bullet point use. Like I’m not a big fan of bullet points, but a lot of people are and I’ve read resumes where every job has five bullet points which makes it unreadable. Too many bullet points are obnoxious, keep it simple. Include awards and honors that you’ve received, particularly professional ones.

Reminders for Your Executive Resume

Highlight any foreign language or technical skills that you have. Include relevant publications or presentations that you’ve given. So for example, if you presented at a conference. Include that. If you have published a book or an article that was picked up by a major publication, include that. Have a professional email address. It’s amazing some of the ones that I see. A simple easily readable font is important because it’s easily parsable by systems and easier on the eyes. Keep your resume to one to two pages in length except for academic resumes, or those of you have significant accomplishments. Include your contact information, particularly phone number, city, state, and zip code, you don’t need to put your street address; we’re  trying to head off identity theft. But think of it from the standpoint of, in the future, If your resume is in a system, they’re going to search by location, and they’re not going to do your town. They’re going to use zip code, and the proximity to that zip code, Proofread your resume. Use Microsoft Word to spell and grammar check, and then do a visual check, starting from the bottom and working your way up. in order to ensure that there are no spelling errors that exist. Remember, there are professional terms that people use that are spelled correctly for the term, but maybe different than what you intended.

So there used to be a computer technology name Novell– N O V E LL. But the word novel N O V E L got through a spell checker because it was a real word. There are other terms like that that may get through, just do a quick visual check to be safe.

I hope you found this helpful. I’m Jeff Altman. Visit my website, TheBigGameHunter.us. There you can schedule time for a free discovery call to evaluate me to coach you, you can schedule time for a paid coaching session or Trusted Advisor Services where if you have questions for me, I’d be happy to answer. I’m going to charge you for that for my time. Also, at the site, you can find that about my courses, books, and guides. The blog has 1000s of posts that are searchable. Again, the address is TheBigGameHunter.us Connect with me on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter. Have a terrific day and be great

Interview Questions About Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

ABOUT JEFF ALTMAN, THE BIG GAME HUNTER

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter is a coach who worked as a recruiter for what seems like one hundred years. He is hired to provide No BS Career Advice globally. That can involve job search, hiring staff, management, leadership, career transition and advice about resolving workplace issues. Schedule a discovery call at my website, www.TheBigGameHunter.us

He is the host of “No BS Job Search Advice Radio,” the #1 podcast in iTunes for job search with over 2500 episodes.

Website: www.TheBigGameHunter.us (schedule a paid coaching session, a free discovery call or ask questions using my Trusted Adviser Services)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/TheBigGameHunter

Courses: www.TheBigGameHunter.us/courses

Main YouTube: www.JobSearchTV.com

No BS Job Search Advice Radio Podcast: anchor.fm/nobsjobsearchadviceradio

Video Podcast of No BS Job Search Advice Radio: Spotify 

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jeffaltmancoach

Medium: jeffaltmancoach.medium.com

Resume & LinkedIn Profile critiques www.TheBigGameHunter.us/critiques

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