If you are going to land a job, you need to have a great resume. Your resume is the hiring manager’s first impression of you. If your resume isn’t up to par, there is a good chance that you won’t get called for an interview. If you are preparing your resume, there are a few resume writing tips that you should follow.

Look For Keywords In the Job Posting

Before writing your resume, highlight keywords in the listing. These keywords are things that the hiring manager wants applicants to have experience with. When you write your resume, be sure to include some of the keywords because it will make your resume stand out.

Review Examples

When creating your resume, you should first look at samples online. You don’t want to copy the resume verbatim, but looking at an example can give you an idea of the outline and points that hiring managers are looking for.

Include the Most Current and Relevant Information

Most hiring managers will spend about six seconds looking at each resume. If you include jobs you held 10 years ago, the manager won’t have a chance to see the relevant information that will make you a good candidate. If you list just the most relevant education, work history, and achievements, the manager won’t be distracted by the other information that isn’t really relevant.

Create a Resume For the Job You Are Applying For

It is great to have a resume on hand, but your current resume may not be the best for the job you are interviewing for. It is best to update your resume to highlight points that were included in the job listing. Tailoring your resume to the particular job you are applying for will increase your chances of being hired.

Use Professional Font

Because the hiring manager will take just a few seconds to review your resume, you want it to be as easy to read as possible. It is best to use Arial or Times New Roman font because these are clean and professional. You should keep your font size between 10 to 12 points and use bold print for the headings and subheadings. Finally, don’t double space. Too much blank space will make your resume distracting.

Proofread

Before printing your resume, you should proofread it a couple of times. If you have spelling or grammatical errors in your resume, it will give the hiring manager a poor first impression of you.

There is more to resume writing tips than listing your education and job experience. If you follow the tips listed above, you will get the hiring manager’s attention, and the chance of getting an interview will increase.