Mid-Year Resume Tune-up

by admin on July 24, 2020 in Ask a Recruiter, Business Trends, Dallas IT Recruiting

 

Summertime is usually occupied by family vacations or that trip abroad you’ve always dreamed of. This year has been, well, different. While a lot of people will still take vacation time this summer, many are doing it in a more lowkey way. Whether you are going to enjoy a relaxing staycation or get away to a secluded beach or mountaintop somewhere it’s important that you take time to recharge and refocus. What a perfect time to dust off your old resume and give it a good tune-up.

I like to make a simple process to get me organized and keep me on track. By simple, I mean really simple, there is no need to overcomplicate the process. After all, you are on vacation. My four-step process is organize yourself, emphasize results, use numbers, and keep it short.

Organize Yourself

Before you start editing or writing your resume get yourself organized. Gather your current resume, your previous year’s calendar, awards, seminar or continuing ed certs, and any other relevant information. If you are updating your resume for a specific job opportunity, make sure you include research into the employer. This is very important as ultimately your resume is not about you. It is about getting the hiring manager to give you an interview.

Emphasize Results

As I mentioned above, the purpose of your resume is to persuade a hiring manager to interview you. Hiring managers are very busy when they are filling a position. It is likely that they are sifting through dozens, or in some cases hundreds of resumes. The first line of defense for them is to quickly find reasons to disqualify a candidate. One particular thing they find annoying is fluff. Your best offense is to get rid of the fluff, replace it with results, and lead with that.

Use Numbers

Employers like results, and they love quantified results.

No – Met or exceeded my productivity goals in 2019.

Yes – Streamlined IT operations resulting in $6 million in cost reductions in 2019.

Keep It Short

Remember that the hiring manager is busy and doesn’t have time to read your autobiography. Get to the point, stay focused, and keep it concise. It’s rare that a resume should exceed 1 – 2 pages.

Danielle Foppe is a Recruitment Manager at Business Centric Technology. If you are interested in learning more about how to get the best IT talent in the Dallas metroplex, contact Danielle specializes in recruiting IT talent in Dallas, Ft. Worth and North Texas. If you are looking for a rewarding career contact us today.