How To Use Your Resume To Land Your Next Job

Of course you’re awesome. You know that. Your family knows that. Even your social media followers know that. But what about your future employer…do they know that?

With over 40% of millennials being unemployed, gone are the days when your educational background spoke for you. Now, are the days when you have to stand out before the interview. So what is your resume saying about you? Here are a few tips to use on your resume to land your next job, and to get your future employer to realize how awesome you are.

Before the interview.

Let’s play the name game. To change or keep?

Let’s face it, hiring discrimination happens whether it be overtly or behind closed doors during the application review process. Although we have made a lot of progress in America, we have to understand the fact that there are cultural differences that still, and always will, exist — more times than not, non-blacks are responsible for hiring decisions in most organizations.  It’s no one’s fault, and by no means am I saying that you should have to hide your race to get the job (that is a new post in itself for another time) however, if you suspect this factor to be the reason you are not getting callbacks consider the following tips to combat this:

• Consider using your middle name as a replacement for your first name. Most applications have a space for a preferred/called by name
• Go with your initials. For example, if your name is Monique T. Marshall, consider M.T. Marshall and disclose your name when you get the interview. You don’t want to disqualify yourself beforehand because someone does not understand your culture.

Please Note: With this being the case, it is important that more people of color obtain positions of authority, so that we are more evenly represented and do not feel that assimilating, to some degree, or hiding your “blackness” is necessary.

Ditch the unprofessional email address

It might seem minor, but your email address is vital.  Attempt making your email address as subtle as possible — using either your initials and your last name, or your last name and a number if “FirstnameLastname@gmail.com” is not available. Thankfully, there are a host of ways to make your email address professional, but using “ClassicMan82@hotmail.com” or “NaturalistaChica@aol.com” is not one of them.

The Resume: Quality over Quantity

Job Applications: Research the job, tailor the resume.

Like a cheap suit, recruiting managers know what is generic and what is not. A way to make yourself standout is by having a profile summary at the top of your resume; having the company’s name and position incorporated into your resume is one way to separate yourself from the “generic crop” – going that extra step can prove to be all the difference.

Other ways of tailoring your resume include utilizing language and certain responsibilities from the job description. Conduct research to ensure you are qualified for the position, and that you possess the capability to complete the job — including knowing the company culture before arriving for the interview. For example, if you are applying for an organization that has a relaxed environment, it is probably not the best idea to wear a suit and tie to the interview. When in doubt keep it conservative.

Formatting is essential

Effective use of white space is pivotal. You do not want to hurt your viewers eyes by scrunching up information in tight blocks, and conversely, not having the information spaced out too much. Be sure to make use of the various line to line setting parameters so the information can be spaced out appropriately based on your respective resumes. Consider the font and character spacing that you are using as well..

Finally, pay attention to the default margin settings that you have all around. If you have a lot of experience and content, you may have to reduce your margin size from the standard 1” on all sides to, lets say, the .5”- .7’ range instead in order to fit all relevant content on 1-2 pages.

Assure “flow”

If you are applying for a position with the government for example and they are looking for a candidate who has certain certifications, it may not be best to place your educational background first, but instead relevant certifications. This is a great tactic for when your degree does not match the position you are seeking to fill.

Assume Cover Letter submission is not optional

Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it is automatically understood that you submit a cover letter with your resume. It is important to incorporate the company’s name in the body of the cover letter.
Remember, your resume is a reflection of you as a professional on paper  . While constructing the “perfect resume” is impossible, constructing the most effective one is not. Block out time to focus solely on editing your resume on a monthly basis or more frequently — you will find that every time you review it with fresh eyes, there is something you can add to it, delete, or modify to achieve effectiveness. Before you know it, hiring managers will know just how awesome you are and pick up the phone to make that interview scheduling call!