Having reviewed more than 300 job application documents already this year, our team have come up with their top 3 most commonly given pieces of feedback:

#1 Sell your experience

To make the most of the experience section of your resume, try using the power writing formula: (action plus task/duty) plus result/outcome.

The action word is a strong verb – think updated, created, developed, or collaborated – that sets up the task/duty you completed, with result/outcome being the positive consequence. For example: Developed and implemented a plant maintenance schedule which minimised machinery downtime.

#2 Consider your layout

Recruiters may initially spend as little as ten seconds looking at your resume, so think carefully before using columns. You’ll want to include as much relevant information as possible in your resume, and using columns can reduce the readability of your content.

#3 Think carefully about colour

This is a hard one. Black and white may seem boring, but you do need your resume to have a clean, professional look.

If you do decide to use colour, try sticking with darker shades – think dark purple, navy blue, or even a burnt orange – that will translate well if printed in black and white. If an employer does print your resume, they’re likely to do it in black and white and that beautiful lilac you chose won’t show up well.

Remember there are always exceptions to the rules, and these tips don’t apply to every resume. Check out our Resume Workbook on UniHub or complete the Resumes Module in the Getting a Job Challenge to learn more about making the most of your resume.

And if you’re looking for feedback, submit your resume through UniHub and one of our team will get back to you.