​Is there such thing as a perfect resume? Yes. And you can have it. A resume needs to be clear, concise, and it should help you stand out of the crowd. How do you master all 3 aspects? We have some tips.

Think about your layout

How’s it looking now? Does it look squished in? Don’t stress about overflowing onto more than one page. Make sure to have some white space and use a font that is easy on the eyes. Be sure to make titles bold, and separate information in an orderly fashion. Always make sure dated information is from most recent to least recent. You can experiment with different layouts of resumes in Word or other programs such as Canva to get an idea of what you want yours to look like!

Include your name and contact details first and foremost

Make sure your name is clear and stands out from the rest of the content. Also ensure your contact details are the most recent and that they are correct! You may have an outstanding resume, but it might be hard to contact you if your information is wrong.

Write a short and sweet summary

Make yourself personable. Write down a short elevator pitch in first person. This part should include passionate speak about your work and accomplishments, but it can also be nice to insert character and personality where possible – whatever that means for you, whether it be sharing that you are a parent, a volunteer or a mountain climber. Ensure that any personal contribution is backed up by what skills this helps you excel at. For example, as a mother of three maybe you are amazing at organizing things even in the midst of chaos. Or if you run marathons, you know you are dedicated and disciplined.

Include any links

Include links to your LinkedIn profile as well as any other online portfolios or websites that are yours which can give the hiring manager a further look into who you are. Some more background can really help people warm to you.

Tailor your resume to each role you apply for

Are you thinking, ‘what?! I have to tailor write EVERY application?!’. Well, fair enough, that would be crazy and exhausting. The job search is tough enough! But you don’t have to start from scratch. You should have an easy to edit standard resume which you adjust for each application. Especially if you are particularly keen to work at a certain company or achieve a certain job. You will need to include:

• Key words that are mentioned in the job ad, not everywhere but enough of a sprinkle
• Value that you can specifically help them with, based on the requirements of the role in the job ad. You can even mention the company by name, for example, ‘From my previous experience, I am confident that I could help build great relationships with clients at [company name]. Just be sure not to leave the wrong company name in the resume when applying elsewhere!
• Any qualifications or skills that are a ‘must have’ or ‘desirable’, if you have them (but don’t lie and say you do if you don’t).
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Include relevant skills (including transferable ones)

Do a quick google search of all the skills required for the jobs you are applying for. Do you have most of them? Write down all the applicable skills you have, as well as any skills that could transfer into a strength for the given job.

Include relevant education and qualifications

Make sure not to forget any qualification or studies you have taken or are currently undertaking. Many roles will require some kind of qualification or university degree and it will usually mention what is desired or necessary in the job ad.

Write about your work experience cleverly

Don’t just list your responsibilities and main duties. Write a short amount about who the company was and what they did and then in dot points outline your role. Make sure to include things you achieved, value you added, statistics/numbers that prove your accomplishments and any projects you were particularly proud to work on.

Add any volunteer work

If you have done any work outside of your main day-to-day, definitely include this! It not only tells people a little more about you, but it also can show off certain skills depending on what it is you did.

Proofread and edit

Lastly, don’t forget to proofread and edit anything that might sound wordy. You may not get knocked back straight away for bad grammar or incorrect punctuation, but it probably won’t work for you either. Just to be safe, maybe have a friend read over your resume to ensure it reads well and is all up to standard!