Karen Thomson, Perth Area Manager, Aquent

Working with creatives and marketing professionals over a number of years means I’ve seen more résumés than I can remember. These range from clever and witty DM pieces, magazine style résumés, very short copy from the copywriters to résumés that go on and on and on (get the point). There are résumés that make us smile and those that make us laugh hysterically and those that simply get a glance and we move on.

Even in the current candidate tight market, we hear stories from people who are simply incredulous that they have submitted their résumés for a job that they were ‘simply perfect for’ and horror of horrors they have not even been shortlisted for interview! So what went wrong?  Was the cover letter sloppy or uninteresting? Was the experience not relevant? What could they have done to at least get a call for an interview?

After working in the recruitment industry for a number of years you learn to identify mistakes that can sap even the most robust résumé of all its persuasive power. These need to be avoided at all costs. When writing your résumé make sure you write with a specific position or type of position in mind. Remember the goal of the résumé is to win you that interview! Worry about securing the job once you get in front of the employer. At this stage the right résumé style is the key to even getting through the door. One of the most common mistakes is the ‘one-size fits all’.

résumés must be relevant. If you have been in account management and want to switch to a marketing role then you must write a marketing résumé and not one for advertising. Understand the role that you are applying for and try to identify commonalities between your current role and the one you desire. Do not expect the person reading it to decipher what you are doing in your present role. This is a basic mistake that candidates regularly make.

You have only a few seconds to impress the reader, so make sure that you highlight your accomplishments. Remember people hire on proven track record rather than potential. Make sure you categorise you responsibilities and achievements separately. When you elaborate on your achievements make it quantifiable.

Keep your résumé short and sweet, two to three pages should do it. But a cardinal rule is to make sure what you put into your résumé is relevant, concise and recent. While it’s great that you worked your way through university as check out operator or shop assistant more than 10 years ago, this has nothing to do with the Senior Graphic Design position you are applying for today. Remember that every piece of information in your résumé should demonstrate why you are the most qualified person for this specific position. If it does not do that, then leave it out.

When writing your résumé, do not over inflate your experience — you will be found out eventually. Avoid big bombastic words. Write succinctly in a business like manner. Avoid being overly familiar or humorous — in most instances this simply does not work. Use action words: co-ordinated all design projects; developed concepts for clients for example. Stay away from “I”, “me”, “my’, “mine” and “our”.

Make sure you check spelling and grammar. This résumé will create the first impression and it must be a good one. To the reader, poor grammar and spelling just means you are sloppy and do not pay attention to detail. Not a good trait in any industry but particularly not in ours.  If you are cutting and pasting various résumés together make sure you use all the same format. Stay away from fancy fonts and a variety of fonts. Designers don’t be tempted! Résumés should be clean, clear and simple. Folios should be used for pieces of work.

Include dates for each position you have held, even if the time frame strikes you as short. If you leave out dates, it can give the impression that you are trying to hide something. List your work history in chronological order – with the most recent role, first.

Last but not least, keep your cover letter to the point, personalised and have the correct contact information on your résumé. After a week of sending your résumé in, make a follow up call to express your interest. Best of luck, put your best ‘resume’ forward and happy job hunting!

Thanks go to my colleague James Koh in Singapore for helping with the content for this article.

About Aquent
Karen Thomson is the Perth Area Manager for Aquent(aquent.com), a global firm specialising in staffing solutions for the Marketing, Communications and Creative industries. Through a network of nearly 70 offices in 18 countries, Aquent services in the areas of print and Web design and Production; Advertising and Media, Marketing, Public Relations and Business Support. In its twenty-year history, Aquent has made nearly 400,000 matches of independent professionals with client companies worldwide. The company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters are in Sydney. In Australia, the company has offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.

Karen can be contacted on 08 9381 7655 on emailed via kthomson@aquent.com