Are you in the market for a receptionist or front office position this year? If so, you may want to take another look at your resume to ensure that you’re not making some critical errors that will be a barrier for employment. Just like a receptionist is a company’s first impression to clients and visitors, a resume is your first impression for a job. Some older traditions are no longer necessary to hold on to, and mistakes can be a major distraction for the hiring managers. Here are the five biggest changes you can make for your receptionist resume this year.
- Remove the objective statement. There was a time when all resumes had an objective at the top of the page. It was intended to let the potential employer know what job you wanted within their company. But times have changed and objectives can simply get in the way. Worst case scenario, the objective doesn’t match the job at all. Instead, you want to communicate your accomplishments and reasons they should hire you. Replace the objective with a summary that showcases this.
- Eliminate meaningless buzzwords. “Team Player” and “Multitasker” don’t actually mean anything. Hiring managers know this and if they see too many meaningless buzzwords on a resume, they are quick to disregard the rest of the information. Instead, demonstrate how you have achieved in these areas in your previous positions. Use as much data and quantifiable information as possible to enhance your experience.
- Don’t include reference information. References are typically performed at a specific stage in the pre-employment process, so you don’t need to offer it prematurely. Have the information available so you can provide it when asked, but it should never be on a resume. Also, don’t include the phrase “references available upon request.” This is implied. Instead, talk to your potential references and ask them permission to provide their names, phone numbers, and email addresses with potential employers. Keep this information in a separate document to send when needed.
- Delete any experience 10 years or older. A rule of thumb for writing your resume is to not go back more than 10 years with your experience. Unless, of course, you were with the same company for longer than that period of time. Most importantly, you don’t need to include any experience that is unrelated to the job for which you are applying. Focus on the last 10 years of related information and delete anything you did in college or high school. If your experience has been in a different industry, research the use of a functional resume rather than a chronological one. Functional resumes showcase your skills and accomplishments rather than your dates of employment.
- Avoid potential discriminatory information. Do not include your age or any information about your family. You don’t even need to include the year you graduated from school. Anything that can entice the employer to avoid hiring you for illegal reasons should be left off. While they shouldn’t make decisions based on this information at all, you want to avoid the issue altogether. The only exception is when something may apply to the job itself, such as an organization that you are involved with that may be geared toward a specific population.
Do you want to improve your receptionist resume for 2016? Harvard Resource Solutions is now hiring for front office jobs in Troy MI, so call today!
