Are you having a hard time finding a job? Is it difficult for you to get an interview? These may be signs that you don’t have an effective resume. Here are a few tips:

1. Know the Purpose

Including that you were a busboy back when you were fourteen may show that you were hard-working at a young age, but when trying to land a job at an accounting firm or a PR agency, experience in the food industry isn’t relevant. Make sure your list of activities and accomplishments relates to the job you’re pursuing.

2. Use Keywords and Bullet Points

When employers are reviewing 50-200 resumes for one position, they generally spend less than two minutes looking at each one, which is why it’s important to make yours stand out from the others. Using keywords and avoiding prepositions will help a potential employer get to know you better in that short window of time.

3. No Place for White Space!

Although it is very important to keep each achievement and experience short and concise, you don’t want to leave an excess of white space. Too much white space not only tells the employer that you lack experience, it also gives the impression you didn’t put a lot of work into your resume. It’s just one to two pages, make it pretty!

4. Put Your Most Important Information First

As with anything, you will want to put your most persuasive arguments first. That means put the experience that most relates to the job you’re applying for at the top. Remember, you are making an argument about why you should get the job, not giving a biography of your life.

5. Get Others to Review Your Resume

You can never have too many people look at your resume. Any sort of feedback is good, especially from parents, relatives or contacts in the industry. They know what employers look for, so take their advice. One little change can make the difference between a call for an interview or the dreaded cold shoulder.

If you have an exceptional resume, a strong work ethic, and 3-10 years of experience in PR, The Vandiver Group wants to hear from you. Send your resume and cover letter to info@vandivergroup.com