How can you make a strong first impression and convince someone to hire you, on one page? That’s the challenge of crafting the perfect resume: it can help you land a job interview or send your job application to a “no” pile.
According to Google’s Head of Global Recruiting, Brendan Castle, there’s a secret to writing a great resume without complicated formatting or hours of rewriting. “The #1 thing you want to think about is telling your story – not just your work experience, but what you’ve learned and the accomplishments you’re most proud of,” he says. CNBC Make It.
There’s a list of important questions your resume should answer, says Castle, starting with: who are you? Summarizing your interests, dreams, and accomplishments in one document can be challenging, but Castle offers some guiding questions to help you better structure your resume:
- What is your role in each team, or in each work situation?
- How did you contribute to the team?
- What was the biggest impact you had there?
For recent college grads, Castle suggests that job applicants highlight recent experience with academic research, tutoring, student groups, or class projects. More seasoned candidates should use metrics and concise examples to show the impact of their work, he adds.
For example, if someone is applying for an account manager role, they might write: “Increase revenue from 15 small business customers by 10% every quarter by mapping new software features as solutions for their business goals.” This framework can also be applied to other leadership positions, college titles, or other types of recognition on your resume.
Castle says he’s always been impressed by candidates who, in addition to demonstrating that they have the technical skills to do a good job at Google, also show they have a “growth mindset” and a desire to learn. from their mistakes and can solve problems with an open, creative approach.
Collaboration is also an important aspect of developing a growth mindset. “I would like to know how you would incorporate the thoughts and ideas of others into your problem-solving process, especially if you are having a hard time finding a solution,” he says.
After you submit your application, Castle says it’s one step to contact the hiring manager via email or LinkedIn with a personalized note to solidify your interest in the position. go smart.
“Even if you don’t fit the position you applied for, making that connection will help recruiters think of you for other roles,” he says. “At Google, especially if we know something you’re interested in, we’ll share that information with relevant hiring managers.”
Castle notes that he tends to respond much better to candidates who acknowledge how busy hiring managers are and don’t expect an immediate response. “Then you can say, ‘I just wanted to tell you about the fact that I really love Google [or a different company] and would like to work there with some capacity,” he said. But make sure you can explain why you love the company with specific reasons. ”
However, the most important detail you need to keep in mind when contacting the hiring manager is also the simplest: write the correct company name in your notes. “There are still moments where someone will contact me and say, ‘I’d love to work for you’ and the company name in the sentence isn’t Google!” Castle said. “We love connecting with candidates – but make sure the personalization is there.”
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