Everyone who hears this podcast should walk away with a much, much clearer understanding of how to write a resume, why certain things are more important than others, what information is critical to include and also what information can be left off your resume, and also how your resume functions as just one tool in a holistic professional portfolio, albeit an important one and, dare I say it, a necessary evil.

Key Takeaways:

• Your resume is like your defence attorney. It exists to make a strong case for why you're a powerful candidate. The strongest case will be made with quantifiable evidence that communicates your ability to move the needle forward for a company.
• The first page of your resume should include a really clever and concise candidate summary that reads like the back cover of a novel to give the reader a clear idea of everything you bring to the table in 15 seconds or less.
• The first page of your resume should also have a list of key skills that align with the keywords on the job description for the position you are applying for. You can find the keywords by reading the job description with a critical eye.
• The second page of your resume should list your professional experience, educational background, and continuing education.
• Your resume should be sent in a word document, not a PDF, and the content should be typed in a single column to read top-to-bottom.
• ATS hates text boxes, extra columns, and unnecessary information. You want to keep it tight.
• Finally, you don't need to include your references, your hobbies, or anything else on your resume because all of those things can be shared with the other marketing tools that comprise a polished professional portfolio, and I'll be talking all about those in upcoming episodes in this series.