Key Elements of a Successful Resume

A well-crafted resume is essential for making a strong impression before you even get a chance to charm your way through an interview. I’ve read hundreds of articles on the www (yes, I know, too many) and while I don’t want to reinvent the wheel, I do want to share my top tips for all my coachees and anyone else who wants to land that dream job. Let’s dive in!

1. Structure and Formatting

• Contact Information: Include your name, professional email address (yes, that means no "partyanimal88@gmail.com"), phone number, and optionally your city. Do not include your family status or children—no recruiter will hire you because of them.

• Resume Length: Keep it to one or two pages, depending on your experience. If a past role isn’t relevant, don’t be sentimental—delete it.

• Format: Choose between chronological, functional, or combination formats based on your career stage and industry. Reverse chronological is the standard.

• Design: Use clean fonts, bullet points for readability, and minimal color for emphasis. Bonus tip: hyperlink past employers so recruiters can easily check them out (and hopefully be impressed).

  
  

2. Content

• Professional Summary or Objective: A strong opening statement should answer, "Why should they hire you?" Use active language and tailor it to the job description.

• Skills Section: Highlight both hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills. If a certification is required (like a programming language), put it up front. No need to mention a driving license unless you're applying to be a taxi driver.

• Professional History: Use reverse chronological order. List job title, company name, dates, key responsibilities, and—most importantly—quantifiable achievements (e.g., “Increased sales by 20%” or “Implemented a system that reduced errors by 30%”).

• Education: List degrees and certifications with the most recent first. Keep it relevant—no need to mention that pottery class if you're applying for a digital marketing role.

• Achievements: Focus on results, not just duties. Use action verbs like "developed," "managed," or "achieved" and quantify whenever possible.

3. Tailoring

• Customize your resume for each job. Match your skills, keywords, and achievements to the job description.

• This also helps you pass the dreaded applicant tracking system (ATS) that scans for keywords before a human ever sees your resume.

• Tools like ChatGPT can help check language and formatting—use them, but make it your own.

  
  

4. Additional Tips

• Proofreading: Check for grammar, spelling, and formatting errors. Get a second pair of eyes if possible (or at least let Grammarly do its thing).

• Graphics: Unless you're in a creative field, keep it simple. No funky fonts or elaborate designs—clarity is key.

  
  

Now go forth and create a resume that lands you interviews—not just a spot in someone’s "maybe" pile!