What are HR professionals really looking for in resumes? Top 5 Dos & Don’ts

"Having screened hundreds of resumes, let me start by telling you that an amazing resume
literally leaps off the page. Just like when you meet someone for the first time, and you get that
spark, that connection, which tells you that this person is someone you want to keep in touch
with, as a resume reviewer, when you see a great one, you just know. The good news, not too
many resumes really meet this bar, so the opportunity to improve is there.

Secondly, a resume is not a listing of everything you've done in your life. Nor is it a listing of all
the awards and accomplishments you've earned. Your resume is a selling tool, pure and simple.
It tells me what you've done in your past that will make you successful in the future in this
position you've applied to. Don't make me guess why you might be good, tell me directly,
make it obvious.

Writing a great resume is definitely more of an art than a science. It is also an iterative process.
Don't try to write the perfect one in just one sitting. With that in mind, I want to share some
dos and don'ts to help you in your journey.

Let's start with the good stuff first."

1. Lead with your strengths

Although many books may prescribe a specific formula or order for you to layout your resume,
the truth is that there is no such thing. If there's any one golden rule, it's that you should lead
with your strengths. Your most important information should be as high up on the page and as
far left as possible (since people read top to bottom, left to right).

If education is your best strength, have that as your first section. If it's your previous work
experience, then put that section first. Know your audience, know what the job requires, and
also know your competition. If this job is one that’s posted just at your school, chances are
that many people from your program will also be applying making your education not much of a
differentiator. However, if this is a job posted openly on a company's website, perhaps the
strength of your school and program may make you standout.

2. Focus on achievements and accomplishments, not responsibilities and tasks

Too many people still simply list the basic responsibilities and tasks in their bullet points.
Unless what you did in your previous jobs was exactly what you'll be doing in your target
company, the recruiter does not care about the specific day-to-day activities you performed
previously.

What we're looking for are transferable skills, but more importantly, we're looking for your
accomplishments and achievements. What was the impact you made in your previous roles?
How did you contribute to the organization? If you can quantify the value you were able to add,
even better! Start by thinking about your proudest moment, and go from there.

3. Read the job description, re-read the job description, then read it one more time

Today, technology is playing a bigger role in the recruiting process, especially for large multinational
companies (MNCs). Online recruiting systems are replacing the old fax and mail-in
resumes. These systems also enable recruiters to quickly search their databases using
keywords.

With that in mind, how do you make sure your resume gets picked-up during the search? By
carefully reading the job description, you can come close to predicting the phrases and words a
recruiter will use in the search. Have the job description next to you as you're building your
resume and try to incorporate these key words into your bullets. The more you can use the
exact phrases that are used in the job description, the better your chances will be.

4. Pimp up your resume

Ideally, you want to customize your resume for every single job you apply for. This is obviously
easier said than done. Practically, you should try to at least have a few different versions ready
to go to use as a base, perhaps a technical one, an industry-specific version, and one focused on
your soft skills (e.g. communication, leadership, teamwork).

If you're applying to a software company, make sure you remove all irrelevant references to
your hardware skills. If it's a marketing role you’re going after, get rid of all your technical
finance-related jargon. When your previous experiences don't match, think about what's
transferable. Turn your unrelated specifics into short generic phrases.

Don't explicitly remind the recruiter of the fact that you're not a perfect fit by giving them
information that isn't relevant.

5. Use the whole page

Many people ask whether they should have a 1-page or 2-page resume. The simple answer is
that you should present as much relevant information about you that you can. Don't include
information just to pad and fill-out the resume, but don't short-change yourself either. If it's
been a few years since you've finished your undergraduate degree, stop including your high
school achievements. For every single phrase you write, ask yourself what the message is
you're trying to convey, what's the point. If it's not relevant, get rid of it.

Try to use as much of the page as possible. Expand your margins out, all the way around the
page, reduce them to ½ inch. Move your dates to the right-hand side, and try not to use
excessive indentation. Why waste a whole column of white space by indenting your bullets? If
you line them up neatly all to the left, the bullets look just as good.

View all Mark Lim T.T.'s articles

About the Author:
Mark Lim T.T. is a web editor/content writer at JobsDB Singapore. Read more of the article What are HR professionals really looking for in resumes? Top 5 Dos & Don’ts Jonathan Kwan gives more career advice on Dos and Don'ts on creating a professional-looking resumes.