The summary of your resume should be interesting and pass the six second test
A new year demands a new resume. The first quarter of the year is over and if you are wondering why is your old CV not working its magic, then it's time you made some long-pending changes to your resume. Resume is your first introduction to a prospective employer or recruiter. A lot of prospective employees get rejected despite having the requisite qualification and experience for their inability to put across their suitability for the job in their resume.
Abhijit Bhaduri in an article on HBR Ascend says that a resume should pass the six second test. According to research, he says, that a recruiter spends an average of six seconds scanning through a resume, which is why the summary at the top of the resume is vital.
An Interesting Summary
The summary on the top of a resume is analogous to the headline on a news item, we read it only if we find the headline interesting. The summary should highlight your most important skills and achievements. To frame a good summary, read the job description carefully, note down words that match your knowledge, skills, and achievements. Make sure that your resume reflects these skills with adequate evidence. To customize your resume, you can also take clues from the company's website about the job description and the company's vision.
Keep The Order Right
Another important point to keep in mind while updating your resume is to get the order right, i.e., while listing out your accomplishments and job experience you should mention the relevant ones first. Amy Gallo in an article for HBR Ascend suggests adding an accomplishments section right after your opener (summary).
"After the accomplishments section (if you add it), list your employment history and related experience. See below for exactly what to include. Then add any relevant education. Some people want to put their education up top. That might be appropriate in academia but for a business resume, you should highlight your work experience first and save your degrees and certifications for the end," she says.
Customize According To The Company
She also suggests skipping the Skills section. She also suggests that if you are applying for an informal company that emphasizes the importance of work-life balance, to include hobbies and interests and if applying to a more formal place to remove anything personal from your resume.
Length Of Your Resume
While the days when a resume had to be only one page are gone, there's still a limit to how lengthy your resume should be. Ideally, keep the length of your resume to two-three pages. A resume more than three pages shows that you can't edit.
Align Your LinkedIn Profile
Make sure your LinkedIn profile aligns with your resume. Do not copy paste from your resume but make sure that your LinkedIn profile and your resume represent you in the same way.