Things Your Resume Is Probably Missing

Things Your Resume Is Probably Missing 10 things your resume is probably missingthat recruiters definitely want to seeA great resume needs these 10 things. You wouldnt show up to a job interview half dressed or wearing last decades fashion choiceswe hope bedrngnis at leastso why send out a resume thats missing the fundamentals?Recruiters spend about six seconds checking out your resume, so that little piece of paper needs to stop them in their tracks. We asked career experts what they consider the absolute must-haves for entry-level resumesand what your resume is likely lacking if youre still not getting a callback. So before you hit send on your next batch of job applications, make sure youre steering clear of thesecommon resume omissions.Youre missing a career summary sectionYou want to show right out of the gate why youre the right hire, says Dawn Bugni, a professional resume writer in Atkinson, North Carolina. Summarize in two to three sentences why youre the ideal candidateand use language from the job posting to show that youve tailored your resume (even if you only change a few words). Since some employers dont require a cover letter, your resumeand the summary in particularmust be able to stand on its own.Youre missing metricsHiring managers love seeing quantifiable achievements, says Jane Horowitz, founder of More Than a Resume. Use hard numbers to highlight your accomplishments for example, if you were the treasurer of your fraternity or sorority, state that you managed $20,000 in funds for a 50-person organization. Do the same for internship experience (e.g., facilitated the introduction of 12 new products that generated $100,000 in sales).Youre missing college courseworkIf youre fresh out of school, its OK to include college courses on your resume, but they need to be relevantmeaning the subject directly relates to the job opening. But rather than simply listing the course title (Economics 101), talk about the skills or knowledge that you gained from a particular assignment (e.g., wrote a 20-page paper on how mobile technology is changing the stock market).Youre missing volunteer experienceVolunteer experience says something positive about you as a person. It tells employers that youre not just focused on making money, says Wendy Enelow, co-author of Modernize Your Resume Get Noticed...Get Hired. However, Enelow recommends staying away from religious or political volunteer work, since it may not align with the hiring managers views. A better approach You can say that you volunteered at a childrens healthcare clinic in South America without mentioning that it was a Christian mission trip, she says.Youre missing a splash of colorUse color to make your resume unique, but exercise restraint, advises Jorli Pea, founder at SweetResumes.com. A black and white resume with one or two accent colors is simple and elegant, Pea says. You might even take a cue from your prospective employers brand and use the companys colors i n your resume its subtle but effective, Horowitz says.Youre missing an interesting fontWant to grab a hiring managers attention? Forget about using Times New Roman. Its a plain Jane font that wont make your resume stand out, says Enelow, who recommends using Calibri, Cambria, Bookman, Palatino, Takoma, or Verdanaall of which are standard typefaces (meaning theyll translate well between operating systems).Youre missing hyperlinksYour email address, LinkedIn profile and personal website or online portfolio should be one click away, says Horowitz. Also, consider including links to your social media accounts if theyre relevant. If you work in graphic design, your Pinterest page might be of interest to a hiring manager, says Enelow. Youre missing your GPAIf you graduated with a strong GPA (think 3.7 or above), you might want to include it in your resumeat least when youre applying for your first job. But you want to base your decision on the job description, says Bugni in other words, if the job posting says that you need a minimum GPA, include it.If theres no requirement, you could state in your resume that you graduated with honors. If you graduated summa cum laude or Phi Beta Kappa, thats impressive to an employer, Pea says.Youre missing white spaceWhen youre a recent college graduateor have limited work experienceyour resume should be no longer than one page. And while it might be tempting to squeeze in every little detail about your internship experience, a resume thats jam-packed with text is visually intimidating, Pea says. Therefore, leave some white space on the page.Youre missing life experiencesTo clarify Were not talking about your hobbies or interestswere talking about personal experiences that make you more valuable (or interesting) to prospective employers. If you studied abroad in a country where you didnt speak the native language but learned how to adapt, that shows youre a problem solvera plus in every hiring managers book. Hiring managers want t o connect with potential hires on a personal level, says Pea.Unsure about yourresume? Do thisIf youre not sure whether or not your resume is ready for a job search, theres no need to risk it. Could you use some reassurance that your resume is ready to take on a job search? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts atMonsters Resume Writing Service. Youll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review ofyour resumes appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiters first impression. Its a quick and easy way to ensure your skills and accomplishments are properly presented and ready to impress those hiring managers.