It’s never a bad idea to invest time in perfecting your resume. Here’s why.

Have you ever heard the saying, ‘You never get a second chance to make a first impression’? I’m sure whoever wrote that must have been a recruiter – from my perspective, it’s spot on. 

Usually, if you’re a job seeker, that first impression is your resume. It’s a window into your professional life and a snapshot of your skills and experience. It’s also the window hiring managers peer through while wondering, ‘Do I want to know more about this person?’. 

So – when yours is one among a tall pile of others – it’s essential to keep your window (ahem, resume) polished. Here’s how: 

Customise, customise, customise! 

You’re steering your career here, so tailor your resume to the job you’re applying for. Focus on the details highlighting your relevant skills and experience, and less about how you were your school’s sports captain in 1998…sorry. 

Plus, provide more info about the most recent roles you’ve had. One or two lines about your early career roles (or simply titles and dates) are usually sufficient. 

Keep it short, sharp, and to the point. 

Unfortunately, no one has time to read reams of information, despite how great it sounds. Two or three pages is the perfect length. 

Use keywords. 

A few keywords from the job description scattered throughout your resume (only where it makes sense) can catch hiring managers’ attention. It shows you’re speaking their language!  

Don’t make stuff up. 

It shouldn’t need to be said, but we’ll say it anyway: don’t lie on your resume. As tempting as it may be to give yourself a promotion or roll five positions into one to sound ‘better,’ there are LOTS of reasons why this is a bad idea. It may seem like something you’ll easily get away with, but you’ll likely wind up with egg on your face and leave a stinking impression. 

Make sure it’s carefully written, proofread and formatted. 

From our experience, the quality of the resume is often a good indicator of the quality of the candidate. You’ll be more memorable if the recruiter and hiring manager can clearly understand what you have written. Take your time, format your resume so it’s easy to read, and check it thoroughly for grammatical errors or typos. 

If it’s been a while since your CV has seen some love and still includes roles from your high school days, it’s time to make a cuppa, sit down, and work on polishing it until it shines. Think of it as an investment in your future! 

Shannon Wood, Managing Director S8 Expert Recruitment Solutions. I have over 16 years recruitment experience specialising in the animal health industry across the ANZ region. Areas of expertise include sales and marketing, technical roles (Quality Assurance, Quality Control & Regulatory Affairs) and operational & financial positions. I work extensively in the veterinary, ruminant, monogastric, aquaculture and the pet specialty industries and I look forward to the next 16 years.