It’s an unfortunate truth that when we apply for a job, we are going up against dozens of qualified candidates, and all we have to distinguish ourselves is a couple of sheets of paper. A resume is often the very first impression you will make on a business, and unless you can blow your potential employer away, there’s a chance that it will be your only impression.
You may be the most qualified and experienced person a company could ever hope to hire, but if your resume is sloppy, chances are the HR manager won’t see past your mistakes and you’ll end up in the recycle bin. You need to make sure that every single part of resume showcases your talents, and that none of the information is lost due to poor spelling or grammar. The following tools can help make sure your resume stands out from the crowd, and that you aren’t rejected due to silly mistakes.
Make the Most of Grammar Checkers
Poor spelling and grammar looks sloppy and incompetent—not qualities HR managers tend to find appealing. While most word processors provide a spelling and grammar checker, this is often fairly basic, and only provides a cursory review of common errors. If you really want to up your game, you can brush up on grammar rules and appropriate tone and structure via the comprehensive guides available on Academized. Alternatively, if you’re new to writing and want some support from people who know what they’re doing, you can scour the forums at Paper Fellows, where there is some great advice and plenty of grammar tips. Using these sources can help you start writing with confidence.
Read It Aloud
Once you’ve written your resume and you’ve read through it to check for errors, you might think that the job is done. However, this is not the case, as when we read, we tend to skim over the words quickly, and can miss subtle errors. Reading aloud forces you to slow down, and you may be surprised how many more mistakes you find—you can also see where your writing isn’t quite fluid, and make necessary changes.
Hire a Professional Editor or Proofreader
When you’ve finished a resume, chances are you’ll be sending the same document out to dozens of firms. This means that you need to be absolutely sure that the document is perfect. For many people, an obvious solution is to invest in an editor for their resume before they send it out. Having an expert’s perspective can provide you with reassurance that your work is top quality, or with the advice you need to make sure you’re on top of your game. Editing and proofreading services are available with Boom Essays, Essay Roo, or UK Writings.
Check Your Facts
Make sure you have included the right dates and job title for every single position you’ve listed, and most importantly make sure you’ve included the correct and up to date contact details. There’s no use having a great resume if a HR manager can’t contact you to arrange an interview.
Make Sure It Looks Good
Scott Jones from Resumention confirms that “your resume needs to look good on paper.” Try to avoid any large blank spots on paper, and make sure you don’t have tiny, hard-to-read font in order to fit in all of your information. Your resume should be presented so your accomplishments leap off the page.
Writing a resume is daunting, as it could open doors to your dream job and help you reach the next level of your career. It’s a high pressure document, but the above tips can ensure it stands out from your competitors.
