Avoid over-selling yourself

Don’t write anything in a resume that you wouldn’t say out loud and in-person. Highlight business or project successes, which means selling yourself by showcasing your experience.

Include technical terminology but keep it clear

While relevant technical experience is a must to include, don’t assume a hiring manager will recognize your systems or qualifications. Make sure to spell out acronyms to ensure clarity.

Presentation and layout

Your resume must look clean and well structured, with readability being a priority.

Job history order

List your most recent/current position first and work backwards from there. Don’t leave any gaps! If you took some time off to travel, or start a family – include that.

Stick to one or two pages

Document all your positions, but only provide details and achievements on recent or more relevant positions. Keep in mind that interviews are there for you to fill in any anecdotal gaps if you run out of room!

Format

Arial size 10-12 is the best font and size that allows you to fit everything on one page without skipping out on important details. Bullet points are a useful formatting tool, but leave italics, underlining, and emojis at the door. Simple, professional and clear is best!

Error free

Spelling and punctuation must be perfect, so proofread, proofread some more, and share with a friend!  

Is a Cover Letter important?

A cover letter to accompany your resume is a fairly standard recruiting requirement. At Agilus, we highly encourage our candidates to craft thoughtful, clear cover letters to go with each resume submission.

• Tailor every cover letter for the company and position you are applying for.
• A cover letter is not a resume replacement, it’s meant to add to the strength of your resume.
• Be sure to highlight key successes relevant to the job you are applying to. Don’t just copy and paste your resume into a letter format.
• Keep the tone professional, but still “you”. 
• Don’t just talk about your experience or successes – why are you applying for the role? What attracted you to the company?