Your resumé is the one item you have to quickly introduce yourself to a prospective employer to let them know that you are the right candidate for their upcoming position. The resumé writing tips in this blog are more about your resumé getting found, being easy to consume, and making a connection to your employer rather than formatting and inclusions.

What goes on a resumé? The obvious things: your overview, special skills, employment and education history, licensing and certification, etc. But what is it that makes a resumé connect?

KISS: This is a commonly known term that stands for “Keep It Simple Sweetheart.” More doesn’t always mean better. The leaner and meaner your resumé is, the better.

Personalize your resumé: Your resumé is your first impression. Think about what it is that makes you a stellar employee. What have your previous employers or clients said about your performance? What are the consistent compliments you receive? What do you do extremely well – maybe even better than others? Make sure this comes across on paper.

Customize your resumé depending on the employer: This is a big one. Employers want a candidate who they can see in their organization. Who has values consistent with theirs and their culture and that would work well in the pace of their environment and structure. If you really want to work for a company, investigate them. You may even learn that they are involved in something else you have had exposure to, even if not in an employment capacity. Customizing your resumé to incorporate buzzwords they will connect with will make you stand apart from other competitive candidates who are just sending out generic resumés.

Include keywords in your resumé: Another big one. When posting your resumé online, such as on job sites and social media, employers will find them based on the words in your resumé. Use words they would be looking for in correlation to the roles you want.

Ensure your resumé is 100% error-free: This means spelling, grammar, and punctuation. It also means consistency in the use of conventions, capitalization, and formatting.

Be honest: There is nothing worse than getting caught in a lie in an interview. You are best served to apply for jobs you actually qualify for. Over-embellishing on your resumé or misrepresenting a role or position will almost always get revealed at the interview stage. Dishonesty creates distrust and that is not the foot that any employer wants to start on with a new hire.

Deploying the above resumé writing tips will help your resumé be found more, will see you land more interviews, and will increase your probability of landing your dream job.

For more information about preparing to look for work, please visit www.tritoncanada.ca/online-police-checks/