10 Resume-writing Strategies

Here are our favorite resume-writing strategies job seekers can use to shorten their job search:

Strategy #1: Write to the future: Don't tell employers what you want. Tell them you meet their needs.

Strategy #2: Highlight only relevant skills: Showcase those skills that are clearly relevant to the targeted position.

Strategy #3: Sell it, don’t tell it: Don't tell your readers what you have done, sell them on how well you have done it.

Strategy #4: Be inclusive, not exclusive: Use terminology commonly used in your targeted industry.

Strategy #5: Keywords are vital: Use the right keywords—and all the right keywords—for your industry.

Strategy #6: Tell a story: Use the Challenge-Action-Result (CAR) technique to describe how you applied your skills, abilities, and experience in a given situation.

Strategy #7: Resume length is negotiable: The content of your resume should drive its length.

Strategy #8: Choose format carefully: Employers prefer the logical structure of the chronological and hybrid formats.

Strategy #9: Make each resume inviting to read:

• Use only one font.
• Use plenty of whitespace.
• Use bold and italics...but sparingly.
• Write short paragraphs with no more than five bullets.