Top 5 Resume Tips

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Your resume is a very personal document and the main objective is getting you through to a phone screen or initial face to face interview. Here are our top tips to give you the best chance.

1. Personal information

Make sure you include your number and email address in the main body of the document. If you put it in the header or footer only, it may not be uploaded properly when you apply for jobs online. You don’t need to provide your full address or birth date, but should at least include what state you live in. Interests and extra-curriculars can be included to convey insight into your personality. Photos are not necessary. You also don’t need to include referee contact details, unless specifically requested to do so.

2. Keep it relevant

Always list your most recent position first. Consider for every point on your resume –

Does this information support your potential for success in the new role?

Does your new employer need to know about your first job after high school? Probably not.

3. Summary / Objective / Profile

People often have this as the first section on their resume. This takes up very valuable real estate so consider what you really want the hiring manager or recruiter to know about you.

What drives you? What are you passionate about? And why have you applied for the role?

These points are more compelling than referring to yourself as a “driven researcher with 8 years experience”. The ‘why’ behind your application is particularly important to acknowledge if you are applying for a role that is different to what you have been doing previously.

4. Formatting

Consider that whoever is reading your CV will be scanning for keywords, so use bullet point lists, adequate spacing, and clear formatting. Don’t choose a size 8 font to fit everything onto 2 pages! As visualisation becomes a core part of how clients receive data you may also want to include the use icons, graphics etc.

5. Achievements and skills

Be mindful of skills lists with no context. For example, listing “attention to detail” as a skill and having a typo in your mobile number. Listing achievements can be a good way to provide evidence to support the skill. You can also include this in the task (e.g. “maintained high level of accuracy and detail during data checks”). Skills lists containing software / methodologies can be included at the end of your CV, so it will be picked up by an AI scanning for keywords.