This is the million-dollar question for a lot of job seekers.

A resume is your first impression in many cases. It’s your introduction to potential employers. So you have to spend time on it. But what’s important? What do you put in, and how do you optimize this type of digital or paper presentation?

Here are some of the biggest key issues that we’ve found important as we look at resume writing and how it affects hiring at our client companies. As a top staffing services provider, we know a lot about how firms hire, and what’s important to a potential employer. That informs our “rules for resumes” and the advice that we give job seekers.

Quality Copy

One of the very first essential steps is to proofread all of the text, and make sure you have quality on the page. Spelling and punctuation are critically important, because they’re proven to direct how users view your written communications. More than a few misspellings or misplaced apostrophes or commas can really devalue the resume that you’re sending to potential employers.

Keeping It Short

It’s also absolutely essential to format your resume the right way. Overall, you have to keep it short so that the reader can move down the page easily.

Many job seekers put a short list of qualifications at the top, to get that important information directly to the reader. It’s also important to look at the use of white space and how sentences and paragraphs are broken up. Assess the resume like a graphic designer would, and consider how you can make things more accessible for readers. Inject some curb appeal into the way your resume sits on the page, and you’ll have a better chance of getting more interest from human readers.

Include the Extracurriculars

Don’t just make the resume a technical exposition. Also include some of your life achievements and interests, along with any charitable work, to give yourself more of a well-rounded context. Hiring managers like to see technical expertise, but they also like to see other bits about the person, so that they can more fully evaluate his or her character and personality through the resume.

Assess Flow

Some of the other big questions around the resume revolve around where to put certain things, such as detailed explanations of tasks at your former job, or salary requirements. Looking at some resume templates might help — in the end, you’ll want to let creativity be your guide. Craft a document you are proud of, and you’ll have the confidence to let your resume speak for you.

About Full Steam Staffing

Full Steam Staffing is a full-service employment agency in Lacey, Washington focused on providing clerical and light industrial staffing solutions to manufacturers, distribution centers and other organizations that need qualified, reliable workers. If you are looking for a new job in Lacey, Washington, browse our available opportunities or contact our team today!