When it is time to apply for jobs, we want to showcase the experience we do have. We can’t snap our fingers and add experience. Here are five heuristic behavioral tips that can help improve your resume and interview without changing your experience:
1. Make Your Resume Easy to Read
The first screeners of your resume are often not the technical people who will interview you later. Your resume needs to be inviting to read, contain the right keywords, and be written at a seventh-grade reading level. If someone has to choose between two resumes and one is easier to read and understand, you want yours to be that one. While it's important to optimize for ATS systems, make sure your resume remains reader-friendly with an appropriate font size.
2. Remove Unwanted Experience
Take off any experience you don't want to do again. For example, if you never want to build another API or install server racks, don't include these on your resume - employers will call you for those skills if they see them.
3. Maximize Relevant Experience
Include all experience relevant to your dream job, even if it's not traditional work experience. For example, if applying for a management role, include volunteer leadership experience like "managed teams at the Humane Society for three years." If you lack crucial experience, seek opportunities through volunteering or practical application.
4. Structure Your Accomplishments
Transform your experiences into clear bullet points that tell a story. This helps interviewers remember and reference your experiences during interviews. Focus on unique contributions and accomplishments rather than basic job duties. For example, highlight achievements like "retained 15% of customers" rather than "showed up on time."
5. Optimize Resume Structure and Contact Information
Place your most important information at the top, whether that's a summary, recent work, or new certifications. For experienced professionals, move education to the bottom. Only include GPA if specifically requested or exceptional.
For contact information:
- Use general location (e.g., "Greater Baltimore Area" or "Colorado Springs")
- Include a professional email address (Gmail or personal domain preferred)
- Avoid dated email providers (AOL, Comcast.net)
- Include phone number and full name
- Keep location information general to avoid bias about commute times or neighborhoods
Remember to craft a neutral, professional persona that you can confidently discuss in interviews. The more neutral you appear as a candidate, the better chance you have of avoiding unconscious bias and focusing on your qualifications.
With these changes, when your resume gets into the right hands, people will find it easy to follow. This gives you the advantage of the "halo effect," meaning they will assume good things about you before they meet you because you were easy to understand and follow. If two people have the same or similar experience, and one of them is easy to understand, which one are you hiring?
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