Having seen a lot of resumes I’m still surprised by the number of obvious mistakes – lack of spell-checking, all-caps where it shouldn’t be (or should it be anywhere?), incoherent statements. And when it comes to defense industry resumes, far too many people ignore the details and fail to target their resume as they should. Make sure your resume is locked, loaded, and ready to impress by following these tips:
1. Create a title better than “John Smith’s Resume.” Include skills and highlight certifications right in the title. Instead of John Smith how about “CISSP Certified VDI Specialist.” Sounds much better.
2. Show hiring managers the money. And we’re not talking about bribes. If you have saved other companies you’ve worked for big bucks by implementing cost-cutting solutions, say so, and include actual figures. If you’ve managed large dollar accounts, include that, as well. Dollar signs catch attention, so include them.
3. Use keywords. It goes without saying that in today’s online search world, your resume needs to include keywords for the kinds of positions you’re looking for. So, search position descriptions. When you start to see the common trends in wording, include those in your resume as appropriate. Avoid acronyms in general, but don’t avoid military-or defense specific terminology. If those are the kinds of positions you’re looking for, you’ll want to include those terms.
4. Remember rules are made to be broken. If you’ve been job searching awhile you’ve likely heard more than your share of tips and tricks. Keep in mind that your resume is still all about highlighting your skills. So if you’re a veteran with 20 years in the military, you probably can’t translate all of that into a one-page resume. Don’t try. Do what works for you and don’t feel enslaved by advice…read more.
Do you have other resume tips for defense industry pros? I’d love to hear them!
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