Let me start by saying that recruiters won’t go digging to find the great information on your resume.  They expect to see it right away and so you have to find a way to make recruiters want to actually read it. Research says your resume has less than 7 seconds to make an impression on the recruiter. 

So since the recruiters are not going to spend a lot of time digging for information and you want them to keep reading, pay attention to this resume writing tip - make sure the top one third of your resume is really strong.

To do that, these are the items you should make sure are right at or near the top of your resume.

Contact Information

Recruiters and hiring managers have to be able to find you.  It happens more often than you think that the contact information on a resume is out of date.  Make sure to keep this section updated.  Make sure the email remains professional.  If you are interested in relocation, make sure this statement is visible beside your location or leave out your address completely. Leave off your social media unless it is relevant to the job you’re applying for. You do not need to add your address to your resume, but do list your city and state.

Powerful Summary of Qualifications, Career Highlights or Professional Profile

It really doesn't matter much if you call this introductory section of your resume an "Objective" or a "Summary of Qualifications" or "Career Highlights" or "Professional Profile".  They all have a similar purpose - a summary statement that markets you. The total you.  By the way, there this still some debate about this resume writing tip.  You will see some people who say that Resume Objectives are out of date for emerging professionals. I don't agree.  My recommendation is to use one because it sets the tone for the rest of your resume information.

Education

If you are a new college graduate or emerging professional or you have new and relevant training, this must show up early in your resume.  Don't put it at the end of your resume.  The recruiter and hiring manager may not actually get there if they don't see a whole lot of relevant content before that. 

State Accomplishments

The top 30% of your resume is really just nothing if you do not highlight accomplishments.  Accomplishments are about what you have done e.g. 4 years of customer service experience, 15% growth in campus group membership, managed budget in excess of $X amount.  Get the point?  Accomplishments mean something to a recruiter or hiring manager.  Don't overlook this resume writing tip, if you really want some attention.

No Errors. Can't Stress This Enough

This resume writing tip is probably the one we see the most.  It is everywhere.  Despite that, we are humans who still make resume writing errors. To improve your chances of not having any errors, get someone to proof read your resume for you before you send it anywhere.

One part of our mission at The HBCU Career Center is to end resume fails. We want to make sure job seekers don't get discarded because of things that can easily be addressed. Use tools like Grammarly or even ChatGPT to check for spelling and grammar errors.

Planning future career moves? Use our career insights tool to research education and certifications needed to succeed in your field, salary ranges in your profession, and the overall prospects of your industry.