5 Ways to Significantly Improve Your Resume

Getting a job can be difficult, and this is especially true for competitive fields like finance. Here are 5 tips to make your job search a little easier (feel free to chime in with questions and your own advice)

1. Cater your resume to each job posting I cannot reiterate this step enough! The majority of companies in 2019 use software that scans your resume to see if it matches their requirements. Websites like jobscan.co allow you to compare your resume with any job posting, and offers free feedback on your matching percentages to their qualifications. This is not to say that you have to redo your entire resume for each job, but if a job posting mentions the word "equity" or "self-starter" 5 more or times, chances are they will be scanning your resume for a match.

2. Make sure your resume can fit on one page This tip can seem challenging, especially when you have a lot of expertise, but many job postings receive hundreds or thousands of applicants, and do not want to spend all their time on one resume. Cut out lengthy/wordy or overly detailed sentences and replace them with what the posting is looking for (this reiterates point 1). Rather than intricately explain previous experience in a sea of words use clear and concise words in bullet points to get the message across.

3. Make your resume stand out from the crowd Being bold may not be a risk that you feel comfortable with, but something as little as a splash of color or a unique skill can make a difference. After all applications have been scanned and hiring managers look from what is left you need to make sure to stand out. A friend of mine got a very competitive position because in his skill list he wrote the he can make a mean breakfast burrito. While not every hiring manager will have this sense of humor, he definitely stood out from other applicants.

4. Submit your resume as a PDF While this may have some exceptions, in general it is much better to submit a PDF version of your document. Also make sure that the size of the document is not huge or some sites will not accept it. It is wise to go to a PDF converter website if you are having trouble with size and format.

5. Mention the company name in your resume While this may seem like point 1, point 1 focuses more on making sure your content matches each job posting and altering skills. This tip is to add a sentence to your bio section as simple as "Now looking to contribute my skill-set as a ... at XYZ company". This will make your resume seem more hand crafted and less generic (even if it is).

I will be posting something else on cover letter's shortly. Please feel free to comment additional tips or feedback below! It is always welcomed