In addition to the tips shared by Fast Company, our Recruiters, and Prepary.com have 4 main things you should pay attention to when creating your resume:
You generally get 30-60 seconds of time from a Recruiter or Hiring Manager at first glance. What do they look at first? Your experience. Make sure your position titles and companies are easy to spot, accurate, and descriptive.
Jamie Petkanics tells Prepary:
This [tip] comes first because it's the most important. Actual experience - the companies you've worked for and what you've done for them - trumps almost anything else. Why? Because recruiters (and hiring managers) want you to be able to come into the company and hit the ground running. This is especially true if you're interviewing for your 2nd or 3rd job.
Pro Tip: Make sure the tone and voice of your resume matches. Current positions and responsibilities should be in present tense, while past positions should be in past tense.
Creative jobs have at least a few core skills listed that you'll need to have proficiency in, that not everyone else might have. Make sure keyword skills like Drupal, Google Analytics, Full Stack, InDesign, etc. are listed on your resume in their own section. Some resumes will go through a software program to scan for keywords, making listing specific skills extra important. Want to make your recruiter extra happy? At Artisan, we love to see graphs or charts listing skill proficiency levels. Pro in Photoshop but basic in HTML? A visual is the perfect way to list that. See an example here.
Pro Tip: Sorry, Microsoft Office is no longer a skill. Everyone assumes you can use it, so save the space for your real skills.
When it comes to creating a resume Recruiters will read, presentation is everything. If your resume is a visual confusing mess, it will get tossed in the trash. Skip the MS Office template and create a resume that is clean, creative, and easy to read. Not everyone is suited for an infographic style resume, but you can skill keep the following in mind:
Pro Tip: If you're not a Graphic Designer, don't try to create a visual resume yourself. Putting forward a less than professional looking graphic resume can make you stand out, in a bad way.
4. Round Out Your Details
Other resume must haves? Education, achievements, and maybe even volunteer work. Though experience matters, modern HR Managers are looking for things that you specifically accomplished, rather than just time that you spent at a job. Don’t be afraid to boast! Recruiters also understand the value of non-typical experiences, such as taking online courses or gaining additional certifications, so don't forget to list them if you have them.
Pro Tip: Include all your contact information on your resume, including a link to your online portfolio. Don't have one? Read this and get one started ASAP.
Once you've got your resume up to snuff and refreshed, send it to us and let us see! Submit your resume here or find a job to apply for from our job board here.
