5 things employers wish they could say about your resumé

Your resumé plays a vital role in helping you get a job. You prepare it as best you can, and you might get the opinion of a trusted friend or family member to see if it’s up to scratch.

But what will the employers you’re sending it to think? What do they care about most in a resumé, and what are the potential problems that might put them off?

Employers, hiring managers and recruiters typically know just what they’re looking for in a resumé. Equally, there are things they identify that can make a resumé less appealing than others.

Here are the five key things they wish they could say about your resumé.

1. Don’t ignore gaps in your resumé

You may have taken time off work to travel, have a family or any number of other reasons. A break isn’t something to be ashamed of, but leaving large periods of time unexplained can leave employers and recruiters wondering what you were up to. However, as long as you explain your gap year in your cover letter in a clear and concise manner, a gap year will not raise a question to the hiring manager. You can also describe what you have done during the break. For example, your volunteer activities, new skill set you have learned or courses or classes you undertook while you were not working. If you can explain how what you have done relates to the job you are applying for, it will surely give you an advantage in the application and interview.

2. Keep it short

It might seem like more information is better when you want to impress. But a resumé is there to help you stand out and catch an employer’s attention – which is a lot harder if it’s cluttered or several pages long.

Making it easy for an employer to see your most relevant skills, experience and achievements at a glance means a lot in a crowded job market. A concise two-page resumé is going to do this better than a long-winded four-page resumé.

Think of your resumé like a summary of the highlights rather than a document of your whole career history. Once you’ve written it, look for areas you can trim or refine so the best details can shine through.

Often, it’s best to cover your most recent roles with more detail, and keep the rest of your work history to the key details of position titles, dates plus a few key tasks and achievements.

If you want to include more detailed information around your career history, you can add this to your JobsDB profile. Not sure where to begin? This free resumé template can get you started.

3. Pay attention to the details

The content of your resumé is most important, but the finer details of the way you present yourself matter, too. You might want to stand out by using a bold design, but it’s often best to stick with black and white, or if you’re applying for a role in a creative industry, use one colour sparingly. Make sure the fonts are clear and easy to read.

Remember, your resume is your first impression and employers reviewing your resumé don’t spend hours reading it, so it’s best to make it as clear and succinct as possible.

Be sure not to overlook your email address. While the email you have been using since your childhood day like [email protected] might have sounded good in school and university, it might be seen as unprofessional in the business world. Using a more generic email address such as [email protected] is highly advised. You can create a new one for job applications.

4. Avoid buzzwords

It’s always important to tailor your resumé to the job you’re applying for, and it’s a good idea to look for skills or attributes described in the job ad and highlight them in your resumé where they’re relevant. It’s also good to show that you know the industry or type of work by using current terms.

Take a look at the terms you’ve used in your resumé, and think about how you could back these up with examples or talk about them with an interviewer. If you can’t, it’s probably worth re-thinking them. The best advice is tailoring your resume that present yourself in a way the hiring company will relate to and that will be relevant to them.

5. Your photo doesn’t need to be formal, but don’t make it too casual

In some parts of the world like Thailand, it’s standard to include a photo on your resumé. And your photo is indeed the first impression you give to the employer. Most companies today no longer require a photo of you wearing a white shirt and black blazer against a white or blue background, but that doesn’t mean you should attach a photo of yourself from a night out drinking. Your photo still needs to look professional, wearing formal or business casual attire is highly advised. Moreover, for jobs in traditional corporations such as banks or educational institutions, attaching a formal job application photo is considered a safe bet.