Resume and Interview Tips
In a competitive job market, you need every advantage over your competition. Your resume is your ticket to a job interview, and your interview skills can make or break your chances of getting an offer.
Use Barracuda Staffing & Consulting’s helpful tips to polish your resume and interview like a pro.
Tips for Writing a Resume
Writing a resume is stressful, but it is part of the job search process. Don’t worry, our team can help you improve your resume once we take a look at it!
At Barracuda Staffing & Consulting, we require a resume from every candidate, because it’s the first step in getting you placed in a great job. Your resume creates a hiring manager’s first impression of you and sets you apart from other candidates by showcasing your skills, experience, knowledge and value as an employee. Use our helpful tips to craft your resume.
- Highlight your most relevant experiences that pertain to the position you’re applying for
- Use terms and keywords found in the job description – but don’t copy it exactly
- Address large gaps in work history by including a short explanation
- Include job titles and use full sentences explaining your duties and responsibilities
- Be specific about programs and machines you have experience with
- Use data to quantify your achievements like, “increased production by 15%”
- Use objective statements; use a skill summary instead
- Use cliché or vague terms like “hard worker”; focus on skills and responsibilities
- Lie, fabricate or get creative with facts; this will always come back to haunt you
- Include personal hobbies and interests that are not relevant to the job
- Include identifiers that could be used to discriminate like age, graduation dates, marital status, race, religion, gender, etc.
- Use excessive formatting; keep it easy to read
Interview Tips
If interviews make you anxious, then you’re not alone. It’s natural to be nervous, and you can lessen your stress by being prepared. Practice your answers to common questions, research the company beforehand and write your own questions. Use our quick guide to help you plan for your next interview.
- How many people are employed?
- Is the office a satellite or main office?
- How has the company changed since you’ve been here?
- How does this job relate to the overall structure and goals of the department/group/company?
- What special projects are being worked on that I would be involved with?
- How would I spend a typical day?
- Who would I report to?
- How does this department interact with other departments?
- Where do I have the opportunity to make the most significant contributions?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What are you looking for in your next position?
- Why does this job interest you?
- What did you like best and least about your last position?
- Why should we pick you?
- What do you have to offer that someone else doesn’t?