According to recent studies, hiring managers, recruiters and interviewers spend an average of six to 30 seconds reviewing each resume. Although some job seekers are under the impression that their two- or three-page resume is better than a shorter document, this simply isn’t true.
Likewise, many job seekers begin their resume with a brief career objective. In practice, this is meant to highlight your professional desires and expectations. In reality, however, it amounts to little more than a waste of time. After all, your objective is clear – to find the next job and maintain gainful employment.
While there was a time when the career objective was common on nearly all resumes, these times have changed. Instead, most resumes of today begin with a brief career summary.
The Career Summary
The career summary differs from the career objective in several ways. Instead of highlighting your desires and expectations, or what you hope to achieve, use this space to showcase what you’ve already done. Starting your resume off with a strong career summary – one that emphasizes some of your most recent and relevant accomplishments – will make a great first impression every single time.
But it’s important to avoid redundancies in the career summary. If you’re applying for a job in manufacturing, for example, and all of your past experience has been in the manufacturing industry, it’s not necessary to describe your success here – it’s evident elsewhere in the resume. Instead, use the career summary to draw attention to other achievements and qualities that might not be so apparent at first glance.
The Skills Breakdown
Others prefer to use the space at the top of their resume to list both soft and hard skills. Anything that isn’t apparent from the experience on your resume is fair game here, as long as it’s relevant to the type of job you are seeking.
If your career only consists of a few jobs to date, or if you don’t have enough information fill out one whole page on your resume, feel free to use both a career summary and a breakdown of specific skills. While many professionals are just fine with a one-page resume, anything less will likely be brushed aside for an applicant who is more experienced.
Receiving Help with Mega Force
There are many different formats and strategies you can use when writing your resume. If you need further help with the process, or if you’re ready to get your new resume out into the job market, don’t hesitate to contact Mega Force today and work with a top industrial staffing agency in North Carolina!
