In today’s job market, job boards like Indeed, Monster and Glassdoor are flooded with resumes. Similarly, employer application managers are flooded as well. This is the driver behind creating a resume that is easy to read and built for HR reps/recruiters to scan. It is a bad feeling to know the hiring authority scans over your resume but what would you do if you have to read over 100 resumes per day? Readers will skim through your resume, moving quickly from section to section, seeking to pick up information rapidly; so make it fit for readability & scanning!

Ensure your resume is formatted in a way that will keep the reader engaged and interested. Create concise information for each position:

• Bullet statements work for individuals with limited information. If you have more information to convey; create a paragraph followed by 3 accomplishment bullets. Accomplishments are usually numbers (Supervised 13 personnel….Maintained accountability of $1M of…..Increased production 3% by…). Accomplishments don’t always have to be numbers (Developed Standard Operating Procedures for the Administration department….Oversaw the Equal Opportunity Program, ensuring….)
• Double space between paragraphs. Including space makes an easy read and clearly shows some sort of break or change in position.
• Utilize headings to introduce your information. Value Added, Work Experience, Education, Training, Other, and so on.
• Use a font that is easy on the eyes. Best practices state Arial is acceptable but any font that can be read is fine. I never heard of a qualified candidate NOT being invited to an interview because they used Times New Roman or Cambria instead of Arial. If you ask 5 resume writers, you will get 5 different answers.

Do not trade in valuable information just to shorten your resume. If the information in your resume looks jumbled for one position, group your skills into sections for that job. For example, an Operations Coordinator:

OPERATIONS

How were you involved in operations?

PLANNING

How did you accomplish planning?

COMMUNICAITON

How did you communicate? Did you use a software system? How did you disseminate information?

Each section title will depend on the job announcement. If the position is looking for an Operations Coordinator, with planning experience who can communicate oral/written or through SharePoint content manager. The ultimate goal is to improve your resume for readability & scanning. The idea is to get hired, see you at the top!