Not Your Average Resume Tips

When was the last time you gave your resume a thorough evaluation? This doesn't mean updating your current job title, but actually going through line-by-line and analyzing every sentence so it packs a punch.

Word choice, spacing and placement are all crucial when you have one page to work with. We've reviewed hundreds of resumes as a team and have compiled a list of things that immediately catch our eye or make us lose interest.

• Put your education underneath your experience: If you're applying for a full-time position, we're going to assume you have a college degree. Your experience is much more relevant, so that's the first thing we want to see.
• Use numbers: You've probably read tips that say you should use descripitive words on your resume. Don't forget to combine those with numbers. Use numbers strategically to give a potential employer a better idea of your responsibilities. Instead of saying you led a team, say you managed X amount of people. If you created email newsletters, how many people was it sent to? If you managed social media accounts, how many followers did they have?
• Go beyond your daily tasks: Listing your daily tasks is a no brainer, but don't forget about big projects too. For example, one resume we looked at included that the person had created their company's first internship program. Not only does it take a lot of work to put that together, but it shows they took initiative and went beyond their day-to-day responsibilities.
  
• Microsoft Office is not a skill: If you have a computer, we hope you know how to use Word and Powerpoint. We're far more interested in skills you have that no one else does, whether it be coding websites, logo design or flash animation. If you're skills section is lacking, don't lose hope. Search the web for classes or visit your local library and find something that interests you.
• Supplement your resume online: Once you update your paper version, don't forget to update your LinkedIn as well. You can even get creative and make a website or Pinterest board. We love when candidates make boards linking to articles they've written or other work on the web. It's a visually appealing way to show your work versus a binder with clips in it. It also shows you know a thing or two about social media!

Speaking of social media, if you're going to be referring potential employers to your accounts, make sure they are work appropriate. A lot of people include links to their social media accounts in their email signatures and forget they are there. If you don't want someone looking through your profiles take them out of your signature and make them private.

Have a resume tip we didn't include? Comment on this post or tweet us @MonikaDixonPR.

By Monika Dixon