Your resume is your first chance to sell yourself to a new company. It shouldn’t just list your qualifications— your resume should paint a picture of you as the complete package. You’ll want to make sure the information is accurate and clear. You’ll probably want a nicely formatted design.
You’ll also want to make sure you’re maximizing the space you have on your resume. Whether you’ve decided on a single-sided or double-sided approach, resume real estate is extremely valuable. Every additional line is a chance to provide one more piece of information that could tip the employers decision to bring you in for an interview in your favor.
Tip 1: Skip the objective statement.
Unless you’re making a huge career change, you can skip the objective statement. Your goal is to get a new, and somehow improved, job that reflects your experience. If your change of career makes sense without explanation, remove the objective statement and find another way to use the space.
Tip 2: Don’t mention your unrelated hobbies.
At the best, the person reviewing your resume just won’t care. At worst, they’ll find your hobbies disagreeable. If your hobbies are not transferable to the job you’ll be doing, leave them off.
Tip 3: Remove “References Available Upon Request.”
Of course you will provide references if a potential employer asks for them. This one’s a given, so use the space to highlight additional skills and delete the references section of your resume.