Job Seeker Tips - #2 Developing your resume

Once you've identified what you are looking for in a job, your next step is to create a resume that will give you the best chance of landing the job you want. Every industry and position has different requirements and standards, so there isn't one magic answer for every role, but there are some basic tips that are applicable to every resume.

• Watch the length. Even for experienced professionals, a resume longer than 3 pages is usually a bad idea. Remember, your resume is supposed to be a brief summary of your skills, education and experience - more than 3 pages is too much detail. If a recruiter or potential employer wants more information or details, they'll ask you for it.


• Put your best foot forward. Make sure that your strongest skills and experiences can be found on the first page of your resume, ideally on the top half of the page. Expanding on your work experiences, education and technical skills where applicable are all important things but the first page of your resume should tell someone who is reading it a lot about what exactly you are capable of. When your best skills and experiences clear at the beginning, readers will be more interested to read the rest of your resume.


• Know your audience. Do some research and find out what sort of structure for your resume works best for the industry or category of job you want. Look at job posts online, talk to recruiters and hiring managers, and find out what sorts of things are important to address in your field. (Almost all of them will tell you that specific statements like "My project was delivered on time and with a cost savings of 20%" are best!)


• Spelling counts! Always be sure to at the very least spell check your resume and it's even better if you can have another person or two proof-read it. Your resume is a reflection of you and spelling mistakes and typos reflect poorly on you as a candidate.