Writing a quick resume is different than writing a normal, longer-form career summary that includes your career history. A short, succinct job profile doesn’t need to include lots of details about your past jobs or experiences.
Instead, focus on telling a one-sentence story of who you are as a professional and what you can do for employers. This narrative should tell someone interested in hiring you that you're qualified for this position and that this employer will get value from you.
It's okay to be concise and direct with your message. Your potential audience members will know that you take responsibility and care about what you do, so they'll trust you. You don't have to prove it to them, but if you do show these qualities, people will work with you.
You want to emphasize those qualities that make you unique as an individual, not just your paychecks. Employers look for consistency in individuals, so being yourself is the best way to highlight your strengths.
Make it personal
You should make sure that your resume is focused on highlighting your skills and experiences. However, what makes a good resume is more than just listing out all of your achievements.
It has to be personal and show who you are as a person. Your resume should tell people about yourself – how much you care for others, how hard you work, and what an important part you play in the community.
Your goal with this document is not to get a job but rather to prove to potential employers why they should give you the chance to show off your talents.
As we know, being able to write well comes naturally to some, while for others, it’s a skill they have to work on. Either way, writing a good resume takes practice, so don’t worry too much about it! There are many free resources available online and through friends or colleagues you can nail yours down.
Organize it
After you have written your career, education, and professional experience sections, it is time to organize this information. Make sure everything makes sense and is organized!
Your profile should focus more on who you are as a person. This will be shown through your cover letter. It can also include photos or references to yourself (e.g., LinkedIn profiles).
The educational section can easily be forgotten, so make sure to update that here as well.
For the professional section, think about what positions you had and what companies you worked for. Try to group similar experiences into categories such as Education, Business, Finance, Marketing, etc. If there’s a lot of space left, consider adding an extra box explaining why you decided to leave your position.
Now that you have done all the hard work, take some time to review your resume. Edit out any unnecessary or vague descriptions and try to use short, concise, and descriptive bullets instead of long paragraphs.
Use catchy words
There’s a reason that so many employers like to read a short, catchy resume. It makes you stand out from the rest!
Many people have a hard time writing their job applications due to how much power they hold in their field. As professionals, they feel uncomfortable using powerful or distinctive vocabulary.
But if you want to be considered for positions, you must use strong language to describe yourself and your skills.
Luckily, creating a quick resume is easy to do. You can pick and choose what pieces of information to include by focusing on things such as keywords. Or, you can write about something related to your career and then modify it to sound more professional.
Focus on your skills
A few basic things most employers look at when considering whether or not to hire you are your work product, your communication skills, and consistency. As such, in your quick resume, focus only on those things!
If it is for a job that asks if you can communicate well, then include examples of how you conveyed important messages to someone. Or if they asked about past experiences, show them by using facts and examples.
Your short, quick resume should also emphasize proficiency in the field you want to pursue.
If possible, try to pick up some of the fundamentals of the position you desire so that you have an understanding of the workplace and what makes an effective employee.
Make it short and to the point
A quick resume is typically one page. If you do not include enough information in one page, then people will need to scroll down or turn pages to read everything!
Quick resumes are usually targeted at either entry-level positions or position updates for experienced professionals. Because most employers look online as a way to source candidates, a good quick resume will be visible to their audience.
It is important to keep things simple, lean, and straightforward. Emphasize skills that speak well of you and show off what you can offer an employer. Avoid using flashy fonts and instead, use ones that are professional and easy to read.
Some often claim they do not have time to update their resume, but with technology these days, this is no longer true! You can easily edit and create new documents via your computer or phone.
Features of a quick resume
Writing a quick resume is much different than writing a normal-length career summary or even a short profile resume. This type of resume is typically two pages long, which makes it very easy to edit and update.
It was designed to be updated and re-written frequently, something that is not always possible with longer resumes!
Quick resumes are usually focused more on achievements and testimonials rather than including a traditional workplace biography. They often do not include social media profiles or references, as those can be found via LinkedIn and other sources.
The goal of a quick resume is to grab someone’s attention and get them interested in reading the rest of the document. Sometimes this takes a little bit more effort, but if you notice that there are some similarities between your current job and past jobs, create a list of these and emphasize them.
This way your potential employer will connect the two and realize how well you worked with similar tasks before and what skills you have that could help him or her in their current position.
Always update it
It is important to update your resume periodically. As we know, employment opportunities fluctuate constantly, so keeping up-to-date resumes is a way to make sure you are not leaving any doors closed.
Employers look at past jobs as a sign that you can move on to other things and that you don’t need much supervision. If they see that you haven’t updated yours in years, however, it will make them question whether or not you can be entrusted with more responsibility.
Similarly, if your resume is very close to being two years old, employers may assume that you do not want to grow professionally and develop new skills. This could hurt you in seeking higher positions or promotions.
So, stay active! Keep looking for job openings and keep updating your resume when necessary.
