Resumes are the first thing that a person sees when it comes to giving you a job. Because of this, they need to be impactful without being annoying. You need to highlight the skills you have and explain why the ones you're missing will be easy to gain quickly. The most important thing to consider is that a resume is a one-minute introduction to you, and should highlight your strengths and downplay your weaknesses. Here are some formatting tips to do this well:
Think Outside the Box
If a job description desires certain skills, you don't necessarily have to have them via a previous job. Your life can also serve as a skill set you can use to prove you are qualified. Does the job require the ability to budget and schedule several different people? Even if you are a mother of five re-entering the workplace, your ability to manage your family's tight funds and keep five kids, a husband, and a home-based charity on line is a great example of what employers would view as equivalent experience.
Be Succinct
Most of the time, you don't need a paragraph when a few lines will do. Job descriptions are meant to give a brief example of why you are qualified enough to make it to the interview round. From there, employers can assess if you are the perfect fit. Leave them wanting more without missing any key points that they need to know in order to make an informed decision about your suitability.
Be Accurate
Don't make things up, even if you are tempted to. Fleshing out your resume with false information can be a fireable offense years after you've done a great job working for the company. That is a written record of false information in your name that can follow you for the rest of your life. If you really want to be honest, don't even play up fake interests to try and get the attention of a recruiter or HR manager you know about. It rarely ends well.
Be Correct
Finally, be certain that things in your resume are correct, detailwise. Spelling is accurate. Dates of employment are double-checked. Grammar is impeccable. Margins are correct. This is important because your attention to detail can speak volumes to an employer. It matters because most jobs require their own attention to detail, and your resume is the way in which they first gauge your ability to complete these tasks. It doesn't matter if you are trying to become an office manager, a marketer, a journalist or an engineer. The ability to provide correct, proofread information is valuable beyond compare. There is no substitute for excellent work, and a perfectly proofread resume is your first evidence of this.
