We’ve got a lot going on. Between the Big Three—school, sleep, and socializing, duh—it’s not surprising we barely have time to binge-watch our favorite Netflix shows, let alone perfect our resumes.
However, can we suggest you put down the popcorn and pick up your resume? Having a professional-looking one can do wonders for your job prospects, which may not seem so important now… but will when it’s mid-August and you’re the only one of your friends without an internship.
Allison Tatios, the founder of Elevated Resumes, showed us how to transform a resume from mediocre to awesome.
First, Tatios infused some character by adding a navy border along the side. Putting a simple, classic design on your resume will definitely make you stand out among a sea of plain black-and-white pages. Tatios will also insert logos, simple illustrations and even headshots to make her clients’ resumes memorable.
Tatios also divided up the “Experience” section from the other sections. Potential employers care more about your previous positions and responsibilities than anything else on your resume—so make sure those things are easy to find! In addition, the title, location, and date of each job should be very clear. Hiring managers spend just seconds on each resume, so if information is hard to find, they’ll never see it.
If you look on the bottom left-hand corner of this re-done resume, you’ll see Tatios inserted a QR code that will take the recruiter to the candidate’s personal site. This is such a cool touch and a great way to show employers you’re tech-savvy! It also makes your application unique.
If you’re active on social media—and there’s nothing you don’t want an employer seeing, of course—Tatios recommends creating a “Let’s Connect!” section with icons for Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and so forth. In this digital day and age, hiring managers love seeing your proficiency with social media.
Want more resume help? Check out Tatios’s site, Elevated Resumes!