If Nothing Else, Do These 5 Things on Your Resume

If Nothing Else, Do These 5 Things on Your Resume If Nothing Else, Do These 5 Things on Your Resume 54“I can’t wait to update my resume and apply for some jobs!” said no one, ever. But since it must be done, if you do nothing else, do these five things on your resume. We get it. Resume writing is not your favorite pastime. Most people would probably rather clean their house from top to bottom. However, a clean house will not land you your next job- unless you’re in the cleaning industry, we suppose. So we’re making this as painless as possible for you by choosing the five things you must absolutely do when updating your resume. That’s right, five- a number so small, you can count it on one hand. So let’s get started. Here are five things to put on your resume: 1. Create a value statement. Just as much as you’re dreading writing your resume, the hiring manager is dreading reading your resume. A value statement will make this quick and painless for both of you, because it will state everything they need to know about what you should put on your  resume. Your value statement, sometimes called a Summary of Qualifications, must include what you do, how many years of experience you have, your academic credentials, your industry expertise, and a sample of your most relevant and significant achievements to capture the hiring manager’s attention. 2. State your current role, even if youre unemployed. The first question on every hiring manager’s mind is “What are you doing right now?” If you are working, you should have your current role listed on the first page with the date (month and year) that you entered the role. This is important to state on your resume. If you’re in school, you should have your program listed on the first page with your estimated date of completion so the employer knows when you will be available to enter a full-time role. If you’re doing neither, you can’t leave this question unanswered on your resume. Don’t go into details about your personal life, but express your situation in the most professional way possible. Many job seekers use terms such as: Personal Sabbatical, Medical Leave of Absence, Maternity/Paternity Leave, etc. 3. Talk about your achievements. Don’t list your daily responsibilities under your work experience. Everyone who has your job title completes those same responsibilities and also lists them on their resume. You want to stand out from that crowd. By describing your value-added achievements, you are personalizing your resume. This will also show the hiring manager that you are a proactive employee, rather than an employee who simply logs their eight hours a day without giving a second thought to how they can improve the company’s operations. 4. List your academic credentials. Almost every job on the market requires some level of completed education. Whether you went to school last year or a decade ago, it needs to be stated on your resume. If your education is the most relevant experience you have towards the role you are applying for, go into detail about what you learned, the courses you completed, and even the projects you submitted. If your experience outweighs your education, simply stating the program you completed and the school you attended will do the trick. 5. Get a professional format. After you’ve drafted all of this information, format the resume. Typed words on paper with a few underlines and page breaks are not enough. If your resume doesn’t look professional, you don’t look professional. There are free templates available online, and most word processors provide you with resume templates to work with. You can even ask your friends and family members what their resumes look like and get them to send over their format to you. All you have to do is delete their information and add yours! That’s it; those are the five must-haves on your resume. If you can’t muster up the motivation to at least knock these five off the list, then you shouldn’t waste your time applying for jobs. Your resume won’t get noticed among the hundreds of applicants, and you’ll find yourself in the same pickle you’re in now. So take a few minutes to complete these five must-dos on your resume. Your job search will thank you. Related: Take Credit: What Youre Not Including on Your Resume but Should Readers, what are the must-haves on your  resume? Would resume tips would you add to this list?  Tell us by leaving a comment! ResumeTarget.com provides professional resume writing services for clients of all career levels across North America. We are the only resume writing company that offers a professionally written resume coupled with the guidance of recruiters, to guarantee that your resume will get results. Tweet us with any resume questions you have at www.twitter.com/ResumeTarget, we’re here to help!