Believe it or not but writing a good resumé is very similar a first date. How you ask? It is really quite simple. When I was single and looking for a spouse, I inevitably had to go on first dates and of course each time I went on a date, I had developed specific criteria that I was looking for in my future Mr. Right. Why should creating a resumé be any different, after all, finding the right job might be as equally important as finding the right spouse? Let’s explore.
The first criteria I wanted in a spouse was for him to be attractive. The same principal applies to resumés, it needs to be attractive. The resumé needs to be visually appealing to the reader so that the reader will want to “get to know” the content of it. An attractive resumé is one that is well structured in its format with an easy-to-read font and font size. A good example would be Calibri, Arial and Times New Roman in 11 or 12 font sizes.
The second criteria I wanted in a spouse was someone who was smart. A smart resumé is one that is free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Always proofread your resumé and give someone else to read it as a fresh set of eyes. If you are using a period after a sentence, make sure it is used throughout the entire resumé and vice versa. Use the same tense when describing work history; typically the past tense will suffice.
The third criteria that was important is for a spouse to not go on and on and on about themselves. Just like no one wants to listen to someone go on and on, no one wants to read a resumé that is too long. An ideal size for a resumé should be 1-2 pages depending on your experience. It should highlight the most important skills and qualifications followed by 7-9 bullet points describing responsibilities in each of your roles. Each bullet should be 1-2 lines maximum.
The fourth criteria I was looking for is to simply have a connection and a second date. This is true to resumés as well. The goal of a resumé is to capture the reader’s attention so that you can be selected for an interview (a second date if you will). Use the SAR principal to highlight your accomplishments. Situation – what situation occurred, Action –what did you do, Result-what was the result. Describing accomplishments and achievements is a great way to showcase your talents without coming across arrogant.
So next time you are writing a new resumé or editing an existing one, think whether it is Attractive, Smart, Does not go on and Connects to the reader. Will it get you that “second date”?
