It should include their contact information.
There should be no shortage of things to look for in a resume when hiring. Let’s jump right into the first thing to look for: general contact information.
The most obvious information that should be included is the candidate’s name, address, phone number, and email address. If a good applicant leaves out this basic information, it could make you question their attention to detail or whether they are trying to conceal their identity.
In addition to the obvious contact information, it is important that the candidate includes a profile picture and link to appropriate social media platforms or portfolio sites. The ability to connect with candidates beyond the traditional methods has become increasingly popular in hiring processes so having these outlets available will provide you with easy access to additional resources for learning about potential applicants.
The resume should have their work history.
Hiring is hard. You have to find candidates who are a good fit for your team and then decide which one should be the best fit. There are many variables that you have to take into account, but one of the biggest factors that can quickly reduce the list of candidates is their resume.
You work in tech, so most likely you have been on the receiving end of a job application before, or you may even be familiar with what it’s like to apply for jobs yourself. Looking at resumes day after day can definitely get dull fast if they don’t provide any new information or you see the same old mistakes over and over again. So how do you know when someone has sent a good resume? Here are some key qualities of a quality resume that should tell you whether or not this candidate is serious about getting hired.
It should have proofread spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
We’ve all been reading a resume and stopped to look up a word. With the rise of the internet, you can find out what it means in just a few seconds. It’s not that hard to check if you spelled “occasional” correctly. If you don’t know what something means, there are plenty of online dictionaries for reference. Aside from spelling errors, grammatical mistakes are also a sign of sloppiness. In addition to reading your resume over yourself, get another person to look over it as well. Sometimes you need a fresh pair of eyes to catch those little mistakes that are so easy to miss when you read through your own writing multiple times. Also try using an automated spell checker such as Grammarly or ProWritingAid. These tools can help point out common errors that many people make time and time again as they write their resume and cover letter.
Don't feel discouraged if you don't end up getting hired on your first application—you might need more practice in creating effective resumes before sending them out again! But what exactly should you be looking for on the next one?
The resume should have a consistent font style and size throughout.
- The resume should have a consistent font style and size throughout. This doesn't mean all sections must be the same exact font, but rather that you don’t want to switch from Arial to Times New Roman for headers and then back again for bullets.
- If you're looking at an applicant's resume on your computer, make sure the formatting hasn't gotten messed up in the process. If there are odd breaks in lines or extra white space between paragraphs, it's going to leave a bad impression.
- Keep an eye out for those resumes with very long blocks of text that look like they’ve been copied and pasted directly into the document—especially if they go on for more than a couple of sentences!
It should have a section on relevant professional experience or education.
When you're looking at a resume, the education section should be at the top of the page—especially if the candidate doesn't have professional experience. This section includes information about where and when they went to school. Here's what you should expect to see in this area:
- Degree and major
- University name and location (if it’s a well-known university)
- Graduation year (which can help determine your candidate’s age)
There should be quantifiable results in the bullet points.
One of the most important things you'll learn as a hiring manager is that resumes are often embellished. If you're going to consider someone for a job, it's helpful to have verifiable numbers regarding accomplishments on their resume.
A well-written set of bullet points will include quantifiable results and accomplishments. Here are some examples of numbers that can add weight to your candidates' claims:
- number of employees supervised
- number of projects completed
- number of sales made
- number of hours worked
- amount of money saved (or earned) by the candidate
- number of clients served
The resume should show that they know what the job is about.
As a hiring manager, you should find out if the candidate knows what it takes to perform in your company's environment. You should look for specific skills and experiences that are required for the job. It’s important to also look for general work experience that is required for any position, including customer service experience, customer relations experience, or management experience.
A good resume will be clear about what type of achievements and accomplishments will be expected from the candidate if hired. You should look at the candidate’s past accomplishments and achievements to make sure they were able to complete similar tasks in other jobs. For instance, if you are looking for someone who can manage a team of people, you may expect that person to have been responsible for managing projects or teams in previous positions.
If you hire someone who doesn’t know what is expected of them on your team, then they won't be as effective at their job.
It should highlight their skills and expertise in the relevant field of employment.
When hiring, you should look for someone who has the skills and expertise to excel in the role. Be sure that they have listed all the relevant skills on their resume. You can find keywords by looking at the job description and identifying the skills and expertise required. Your resume should list these skills that you have. You may want to include them in your resume as well to show that you have what they are looking for.
A good resume will save you time during the hiring process
One of the most common things that goes wrong during the hiring process is that a candidate spends too much time on their resume, but it doesn't end up getting them an interview, let alone the job.
Don't waste your time with candidates who don't follow instructions!
A good resume will provide all of the information you need to make a quick decision about whether or not you think the candidate is a good fit for your company. If there's something missing from the resume, you can contact them directly to ask questions.