Your career

The first step to landing your dream career is by handing in your resume. This can be a lengthy process but remember not to rush it and to consider and outline all of your achievements, career experiences and responsibilities.

In order to ensure that your resume successfully lands you an interview I have left some valuable tips from the recruitment team below: 

1. Use a readable font

Use fonts that are clear to the reader such as: Calibri, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Verdana and Arial. 

A creative font will not make you stand out; it will be impractical and cost the manager valuable time trying to read through your resume. It’s also important to use a size that the manager can read without having to struggle to see, I advise to use an 11 or 12 point depending on what font you decide to use.

2. Simplicity and sophistication  

It’s important to keep your resume structured and neat, not distracting. Photographs, coloured fonts, and anything else that will distract the manager from reading the contents of your resume is not necessary.

 3. A brief introductory summary

 If you are an external candidate wishing to enter Barwon Health, a brief introductory summary can be useful for the reader. Remember that 'brief' means a short snippet of information introducing your career history and experience. Leave the rest to the cover letter.   

4. Be professional

If you are using the same email you had as a teenager and it is not professional, make sure that you update this. It doesn’t matter how perfect your resume is if the manager is uncomfortable replying to your email address. 

5. Relevance is key

If working at a café and making coffee was a duty in High School but won’t be for the position you are applying for as a Graduate Nurse, delete this information. Ensure the information and the skills you have gained are all relevant to the position you are applying for.

It is also important to remember to delete information such as age, marital status, religion or nationality. This information is illegal for a manager to ask.

 6. Measure your achievements

Make your resume achievement-oriented, that is, what you have done in your position that other people in the same position haven’t.

Have you ever heard the saying actions speak louder than words? Ensure when writing about your achievements you include statistics, numbers and percentages. If you have raised $10,000 volunteering, write the dollar figure. If you have increased sales by 15%, use that percentage. Factual relevant information of what you have achieved is extremely beneficial in a resume.

7. Use key words 

Use the key selection criteria and PD as a basis of what the manager is searching for and use these words in your resume to reassure the manager that you have the qualities and skills they need for the role you are applying for. 

8. Don’t ramble!

Be correct, clear and concise in the information you are providing.

 9. Relevant references

Provide references that are both recent and relevant. Personal references are not necessary. 

Best of luck resume writing!