Many people dread job interviews. For some of us it’s not knowing what questions might be asked, and for others, it’s the obsessive recounting of all the “better” answers we could have provided if we’d been a little more confident.
Interestingly, much fewer people lose sleep over the resume-writing process—and this is surprising because when you think about it, your resume is actually the FIRST impression you make on a hiring manager or recruiter. So wouldn’t you want it to be, well, impressionable?
Now that you’ve realized that resumes are something you should, in fact, be stressed about, you can take a breather. Here are some essential tips that will help you get noticed for that CAD drafting job you’ve had your eye on.
The Dos & Don’ts of Presentation
It only makes sense that presentation is important— and the way your resume is presented to a recruiter is just as important (perhaps even more so) than the way you might present yourself during an interview. So how can you ensure that your resume looks its best? Follow these simple Dos and Don’ts:
Do use whitespace! Too much clutter can be distracting to the eye. One way to avoid clutter is to use bullet points to display your accomplishments—this will draw the reader’s attention directly to your education or experience so they can get the information they need without distraction.
Don’t make spelling and grammatical errors. This is something that can make or break your chances of getting a callback. Edit, edit and edit some more—this cannot be stressed enough! Try asking a friend to proofread your resume before you send it out, to ensure that you haven’t missed anything.
Do use a simple and clean font like Times New Roman, or Arial and format the text by italicizing and bolding as needed—you might want to make your name stand out, so using a larger point size and bold formatting to do so is perfectly fine.
Don’t use distracting designs, photos or fonts. You want your resume to showcase your skills and as a CAD drafter, this means you’ll likely list the experience you have with CAD software. You’ll have the opportunity to provide examples of your work in your portfolio, so keep your resume clear, concise and technical.
Using Keywords to Pass Online Recruitment Filters
Many companies use online recruitment software to filter the masses of resumes they receive daily. As an applicant, it’s important to insert the essential keywords (that are used in a job posting) into your resume. Why? Basically, the job posting is the company’s way of telling the candidate exactly what they are looking for, so you must relay the message that you are what they’re looking for.
Suppose you’re applying for a position at an engineering firm and the job posting specifies that they are looking for someone with CAD training. You’ll want to mention that you’re a recent graduate of a CAD college and that you have taken many CAD courses—this way, if the company is using a recruitment tool, your resume will likely pass the filtering process because you’ve mentioned the keyword “CAD” several times.
How To: Include Your Experience
I’m sure you’ve already been advised that each page in a resume represents ten years of work experience and if you got your first part-time job at the age of 13, your resume is probably a few pages long. However, if you’re applying for a position as a CAD drafter, your past experience as a retail sales associate or a cashier probably won’t help—it could even hurt your chances. Remember only to include relevant work experience in your resume. If you have little to no work experience for the position, you can highlight your transferable skills. As a CAD drafter, some skills that you might want to draw attention to could include; computer literacy, problem-solving and teamwork skills.
What’s the worst resume blunder you’ve ever made – or seen others make?
