In episode 2 of our How to Land a Job series we analyze the most important piece of paper in your career – the resume. How you come across on your resume can either score you an interview or end the application process.

Should you stick the standard format or go with something more creative? How do you show the impact of your work rather than just listing past experience? What’s the one thing you NEED to avoid?

We sit down with our CEO for 15 minutes each week, every week to get practical business advice so we can advance in our careers. In this episode, we learn how to optimize your resume…

Key Takeaways

• Analyze everything on your resume. A single typo can cost you an interview.
• CEO’s are looking to see the impact of your work, and not just a list of activities.
• Avoid speaking too much from the first person – it comes off as narcissistic. Remember to stress how well you worked with a team.
• Show cause and effect on your resume. What was the issue? And how did you overcome it?
• Don’t use language that comes off as overly intellectual. Recruiters know when you’re relying on a thesaurus to express yourself.
• List experiences that help tell a story and craft a narrative about your career.
• Be sure your personality comes out on your resume. Whatever you can do to make your resume stick out in a pile of other resumes (in a non-annoying way), do it.