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Advice / Job Search / Resumes

10 Resume Resources That'll Make it (Almost) Impossible for a Hiring Manager to Pass

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Calling all job seekers who believe resumes are the bane of your existence—we’re here to help.

Because even though yours’ is probably fine, we want to make it even better, so good, in fact, that hiring managers can’t help but read it (and then call you!).

So, we’ve compiled our best resources for proofreading the bugger, making it pretty and perfect, and tailoring it to the job you want. In fact, you’ll get so good at writing them you’ll realize that they’re actually not the worst.

  1. First and foremost, in order to procure a kickass resume, you have to know who you’re applying to and what they’re looking for (and then tailor accordingly).

  2. Tailoring doesn’t just mean switching around your experience. If you’re a specific kind of job seeker (read: new grad or career changer), a traditional resume isn’t always your best bet.

  3. Then, think about the robot—ATS that is. You’ll want to make sure you’ve got all those keywords that they love.

  4. Your skills section is super important in showing what tools you bring to the table—so make it exciting rather than meh.

  5. Speaking of sections, your hobbies aren’t necessarily the first thing to go. Here’s why you should keep them around (and how they might just boost your credibility).

  6. You probably need a reminder on all those basic little tips for writing and editing it—don’t worry, we talked to the experts to give you the ultimate checklist.

  7. Keep in mind: You want your resume to not just be a bunch of words and bullets. Make sure it tells a compelling story that’s worthy of a job interview.

  8. And, before you click submit, there might be some red flags you want to look out for that could be giving off a bad (or confusing) impression.

  9. Finally, for a bit of flare, try out this free tool that’ll make it so professional people will think you’re a designer (unless you already are one, in that case, you’ll look even awesome-er).

  10. And, just for kicks, you might want to meet with an expert and have him or her read it to see what could make it really shine.