Your resume is your first point-of-contact with employers and could be your one chance to market yourself for your dream job. It is incredibly important that you take a step back and analyze your resume from the perspective of a hiring manager. After reading the job posting carefully, review each section of your resume and ask yourself:

• Objective/Professional Summary: Does this section make sense for this position? Does it serve as a compelling introduction to my relevant skills/qualifications?
• Education Section: Are these all completed degrees? Also, are these programs related to this position? (Hint: It is not necessary, or even helpful, to list all of your degrees. Only list those that are completed and necessary for the position you are applying to. If an employer sees a lot of education listings that are not related to their job opening, they may question your dedication to their field.)
• Professional Experience/Employment History: What do these job duties have to do with the position I am applying to? (Hint: If these positions are completely unrelated, you might want to consider using a Functional Format.)
• Qualifications/Skills: Are these actual skills/qualifications (e.g. Proficient in Microsoft Office, over 2 years management experience, full knowledge of SHRM, etc.) or personality traits (e.g. detail-oriented, friendly, etc.)? (Hint: Personality traits are better left off of your resume.)

With a demanding job market comes demanding employers. Each Hiring Manager wants your resume to read as if it was written just for them and their opening. It is strongly in your favor to take 5-10 minutes to review and revise your resume to reflect each job posting before sending it out.

In addition to gearing your resume for each position, these tips will help you make a good impression:

• Length: There is no need to cut your resume short and eliminate key skills/information or shrink the font and margins to fit your resume on one page. As long as you are only including relevant information, it is okay for your resume to be up to 2 pages long. Keep in mind that inexperienced individuals should have shorter resumes. If you have information on the 2nd page, make sure that it fills at least ¼ of that page. Do not have a resume longer than 2 pages.
• Margins: One inch margins are a good standard for a professional resume.
• Font Size: 11 or 12 pts minimum. Anything smaller can be too difficult to read.
• Font Style: Arial, Times New Roman, or another font that is easy to read and standard for all word processors.