Do These 7 Things On Your Resume To Convert Your Applications To Interviews

As a new immigrant, I struggled with how to write my resume in the Canadian context. I wished someone would give me a template but when I reached out to people, I got the cold shoulder.

I was lucky enough to meet with a recruiter who helped me. Since then, I have mastered the art of resume writing and now write killer resumes that land interviews for my clients.

In the spirit of giving back, I started doing free resume reviews via Linkedin for new immigrants with the goal to make the path easier for others. If you are not following me on LinkedIn, I invite you to connect with me today. 

Today’s newsletter will delve into the common patterns and mistakes that I found after reviewing 10+ resumes last week Saturday.

Let’s dive in:

Resume Formatting:

• Avoid using colors and tables to ensure ATS compatibility. Keep it simple. Black text on a white background works best.

• Ensure that all dates are aligned and that the text is justified across the document.

• Review the formatting to maintain consistency in date format, capitalization, and font size.

Headline: 

• Use the specific job title you are targeting, as mentioned in the job description.

• Always include your LinkedIn URL, along with contact information.

• If you have any professional designations,  add them right after your name e.g. PMP, CBAP, CPA, etc. Avoid listing all your designations, keep it relevant to the target role and only add 2 or 3. 

Professional Summary:

• Treat the professional summary as your elevator pitch. It is your personal career narrative condensed into a few powerful sentences, maximum 5 lines.

• Combine professional summary and objective together into one section, instead of two sections. 

• Do not include words like” I am looking for an opportunity where I can help the organization achieve its goal’. These types of words do not show your value and what you can bring to the organization. 

• Use the simple formula to create an impactful professional summary:

Who you are + years of experience + industries you have worked in + 4 - 5 technical/hard skills + a recent accomplishment + 2-3 soft skills.  

Here’s an example:

Before:

Certified Business Analyst with excellent communication, problem-solving, time management, customer relationship, and critical thinking skills.  Seeking to contribute my skills and expertise in an organization to enhance executive operations and promote a positive workplace culture. Looking to support and lead a team in using and understanding the work system and processes to achieve the organizational goals. 

After: 

Dynamic Business Analyst with 5+ years of experience in financial services and retail industry, specialized in requirements management, data analysis and process improvement to drive business decisions and operational efficiency. Utilized both waterfall and agile methodologies and recently delivered on the OptimTech initiative which automated 50+monthly reports, reduced time spent by 40% and improved data accuracy by 99%. Detail oriented leader, adept at collaborating with cross-functional teams with a focus on value driven delivery. 

Skills Section:

• Review the job description to determine the key skills required for the role - then add the ones you have. Aim to have no more than 10 - 12 technical skills. 

• This section should be on the front page of the resume, and placed right after the professional summary. Use a two or three column layout to make it easier to read. 

• Context is Key -  instead of listing soft skills, integrate them into your professional summary and achievements where they can be seen in action.

• Focus on show, not tell. As an example, you can highlight leadership skills in your work experience section by writing: managed a team of 3 and delivered on xyz initiative.

• Do not include basic competencies like Microsoft Suite proficiency -  these are table stakes and everyone is expected to know how to use it. 

Work Experience:

• Use active language and avoid passive words like "assisted" or "responsible for." Replace with action words such as led, managed, implemented, delivered on’.

• Tailor your resume to mirror the language and requirements of the job you're applying for. This not only shows that you're a perfect fit but also helps your resume pass ATS screenings.

• Identify your transferable skills - you may not have done the exact thing before but maybe you have done something similar - get creative and add them to the resume. 

• If you have any project experience or initiatives you either led or participated in, add it to your work experience section. Highlight maximum two key projects for each work experience.

• Ask yourself these questions to tie back your work to the organizational goals: Did you improve a process? Did you help the company make more money? Did you reduce cost? Did you acquire or retain customers? 

• Now, quantify your impact using numbers and percentages. Think about how much, how many, how you did it, and what it led to. 

Here is an example:

Before: Marketing Coordinator, ABC Corporation, Jan 2019 - Present

Assisted with the development and implementation of marketing strategies.

After: Marketing Coordinator, ABC Corporation, Jan 2019 - Present

Created and implemented digital marketing strategy for end-client which streamlined tracking on campaign performance, increased website traffic by 25% and increased team productivity by 30% within the first three months.

Volunteer Experience:

• Volunteer experience should highlight your value and is a great way to add experience to your resume if you lack traditional experience, want to showcase transferable skills or demonstrate in-country experience. 

• Quantify your volunteer experience and show impact and value. Remove volunteer experience if you can't find a way to quantify your accomplishments or tie it back to your target job role. I’ll give an example using an accountant who helps people file taxes. 

Instead of:

Role: Accountant, Organization's Name, Dates

Do this:

Role: Accountant for [Organization's Name], Dates

Achievements: Prepared and filed taxes for 100 low-income families using strategic tax planning, secured $100K in tax refunds, provided financial counseling which increased benefits qualification by over 30% and saved families a cumulative of $300K in tax filing fees.

Notice this statement talks about what, how much, how many, how it was done, and the result at the end.

Education & Certifications:

• Prioritize relevance and only include certifications that are directly applicable to the job role. 

• Don’t just make it a listing of all the training you have taken. You may have done CPR training but it's not relevant to the role of a Business Analyst and does not provide any additional benefit.

• Place this section on the last page of your resume, not on the first page. This should typically be the last section.

Additional Tips:

• Avoid duplication of information - your goal is to show that you can

• Remove references from the resume unless specifically requested.

• Resume length can be 2 -3 pages, so long as it shows the breadth of your experience and it is relevant to  your target job role. 

• Remove any irrelevant experience and make it as concise as possible. 

Next Steps:

• Review and Revise: Take a fresh look at your resume with these tips in mind. Revise each section to ensure clarity, relevance, and impact.

• Feedback and Iteration: Seek feedback from mentors or peers, and be open to iterating on your resume. Continuous improvement is the key to perfection.

Bonus: Get my free resume template to help you go from zero to multiple interviews, no matter the type of role you are targeting.

Summary of the key takeaways:

• Make Every Word Count: Your resume gets you interviews. Be clear and precise.

• Highlight Your Impact: Show what you did and how it helped, using simple examples.

• Prove Your Worth: Share how your work contributed to the company's success.

Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 ways I can help you:

 1. [60-min] 1:1 Power Hour: Pick my brain on all things job search, resume, LinkedIn, personal branding, interviewing and more. Apply here for $249.

2. Apply to join my Agile Project Management Accelerator Program: A 3 month career transition coaching program to get you hired in 3-6 months. Book a free call today.

Until next time,

Zainab

Remember, you are just one step away…

P.S: I would love to hear from you - what topics would you like me to share more of? I want to make sure I write about the things that matter to you.