When it comes to getting your foot in the door of a company, the resume reigns supreme. It’s often the first impression a company will have of you — and if you’re not careful, it could also be the last.
But even with so much resume “advice” out there, it’s hard to know exactly what recruiters look for. That’s why we asked four local recruiters to weigh in and explain what jobseekers really need to do to stand out.
The Trade Desk brings Big Data to the adtech industry with a demand-side advertising platform that enables buyers to manage their ad campaigns more effectively. Senior talent acquisition associate Casey Rabiea explained how a resume catches her eye.
What are three things you look for in a resume?
1. An indication of the significant, individual contributions a candidate made to each of their roles. Oftentimes candidates will solely elaborate on high-level details of a project in their resume or just throw in a list of technologies that they were exposed to in their role.
2. The basics: full name, current address and contact information (including an email and cell phone number).
3. An overview of a candidate’s education, certifications and credentials.
Your resume is a marketing tool. You are a product, and the hiring manager is the buyer.”
What's one resume-writing myth you wish would go away?
“All resumes need to be kept to one page.” I hate this myth! If you’re a person who does a great job elaborating on your specific individual contributions in each of your roles, then it’s likely that your resume is going to go over one page. I’d much rather see a two- to three-page resume than a one-page resume that lacks detail or that’s cluttered and written in size eight font.
What's one thing jobseekers can do to craft a resume that will stand out?
Include a strong — but brief — opening statement. Think about it like this: your resume is a marketing tool. You are a product, and the hiring manager is the buyer. In order to make your resume stand out, you want to give an employer a reason to buy your product. So catch the hiring manager’s attention off the bat by starting your resume with a strong opening summary or objective statement — a few sentences to effectively summarize your expertise while making it clear to the employer that you have what it takes to get the job done.
BlueModus is a full-service digital agency, offering development, marketing and infrastructure services for businesses around the globe. Vice President and COO Tom Whittaker shared some insight into what a senior executive looks for in a resume.
What are three things you look for in a resume?
1. A format that is easy to scan and digest.
2. A section that summarizes skills for technologies, languages, etc.
3. A professional experience section that’s concise to what the candidate did in that role as it relates to technologies, languages, etc.
The more you help paint the picture of why you are the right fit, the more you will stand out.”
What’s your biggest resume pet peeve?
My biggest resume pet peeve is poor formatting. A recruiter or hiring manager, like myself, reviews 100-plus resumes a week. I have a few minutes to review each resume and if I have to fight the formatting, I move on.
What's one thing jobseekers can do to craft a resume that will stand out?
Cover letters are a good best practice, with details about how the candidate feels their qualifications match the posted position or something that interests them in the company. The more you help paint the picture of why you are the right fit, the more you will stand out.
NEWMEDIA is a creative digital agency that provides comprehensive services ranging from mobile app development to UX design to marketing strategy and consultation. Cory Powl, manager of people services, shed light on some of her resume deal-breakers.
What are three things you look for in a resume?
1. Spelling is a huge thing for me. It just gets under my skin when I see a spelling mistake on a resume. A resume should always be proofed by someone other than yourself before being sent out into the world.
2. Specific to technical roles, I love when the applicant lists their technical skills, languages, software, etc., separate from the body of the resume. It really helps when I need to pull specifics from several candidates.
3. I look to see if the candidate paid attention to the job listing. Did they use wording that was used in the post? Did they pay attention to pre-requirements? These are obvious and simple actions that can land a candidate a phone call.
Resumes that stand out to me have a bit of design to them. I know this isn’t for everyone, but I like to see a pop of color.”
What's one resume-writing myth you wish would go away?
That a resume can’t be longer than one page. If what you need to say takes up two pages, that is absolutely fine. If it makes your formatting look better to go to two pages, go for it. That being said, the information should be relevant. Taking half a page to list all your high school gigs isn’t necessary.
What's one thing jobseekers can do to craft a resume that will stand out?
Resumes that stand out to me have a bit of design to them. I know this isn’t for everyone, but I like to see a pop of color and design layout. It gives my eyes a break from the usual block style and it also draws my attention a bit longer. Isn’t that the point?
Adtaxi works with media businesses and advertisers to implement performance-driven digital marketing campaigns. Corporate recruiter Dori Saad explained how a resume makes its way to the top of her pile.
What are some things you look for in a resume?
I look for accomplishments and statistics about things the person has done, relative to the position. I also look to see if the job responsibilities are repeated or if the person was creative in relaying their role in each new position.
Jobseekers should have a summary that gets my attention and stay away from buzzwords.”
What's your biggest resume pet peeve?
A functional resume! This presents itself as a way of potentially misrepresenting what the person has done in each of their roles. I want to see a chronological resume with the details and dates listed for each role.
What's one thing jobseekers can do to craft a resume that will stand out?
Jobseekers should have a summary that gets my attention and stay away from buzzwords like “quick learner,” “team player,” etc.
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