It is an opportune time to sharpen your resume so you are putting your absolute best foot forward when applying for a job now or in the future. Your resume is your first impression and as the old saying goes “first impressions last”. There is a process of elimination when reviewing applications, so you want to make sure you have more pluses to your application that make the recruiter or hiring manager want to jump on the phone to you straight away to discuss the next steps.

There is a lot of conflicting advice from many sources about what to include, it’s rather confusing! Below is a list of our top 9 tips for sharpening your resume.

Length – Keep it to 3 pages

Avoid creativity – Fancy fonts and images can make your resume difficult to read and it can be hard to know where to find the information that highlights your relevant skills.

Keep these things out – Height, weight, spouse and children’s names, glamour photos, work email addresses, available days and hours. These aren’t relevant and take up valuable space for more important skills to highlight.

Chronological order – Keep your jobs in chronological order and put employment dates next to each of your jobs.

Bullet points – Using bullet points to cover the responsibilities of your roles makes it easy to read and follow.

Skills and education – Include these if they are relevant to the job you are applying for. If the job requires a Real Estate Licence then you would include the education you undertook to obtain that qualification. Putting the primary school you went to 30 years ago isn’t relevant.

Proofread – Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, typos, incorrect dates, etc make sure it is all triple checked. Incorrect spelling or grammar can show a lack of care.

Cover letters – If the job you are applying for specifically requests a cover letter then you need to include one. If you are sending a CV direct without applying for a specific job I would include one to explain what your situation is and what you are looking for. Otherwise, an up to date resume should be sufficient.

Fluffy words – Avoid the fluffy words that don’t say anything specific about you, these include; go-getter, detail-orientated, hard worker. Sell your skills and practical experience instead as that is what the person reviewing your application is ultimately looking for.