The Job Before the Job – How to Write a Killer Resume

Author Article: (By Lucy Wyndham)

Those looking to get into the world of semiconductor engineering are facing one of the most competitive job markets out there. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the projected market growth for materials engineers is only 2% between now and 2026. This stat may sound as intimidating as an interviewer’s questions, but don’t worry. This just means you need to prepare for the career as thoroughly as possible, and this starts with writing an irresistible resume.

The Basics

Errors have always been resume-killers. One misspelling here or glaring grammatical gaffe there is oftentimes all it takes for a resume to get tossed in the wastebasket. When you’ve typed up a resume, carefully proofread it and fix all the errors you spot. When you’re done, comb over it again – chances are you missed something. Not doing so could kill your hopes before they even spring forth.

A good-looking resume is more than just making sure there aren’t any mistakes, though. It must be easy to read and possess an agreeable aesthetic flow. Use a legible font that’s sized to allow for a decent amount of white space on the page, as that will make it easier to read. Also, stick to white or cream-colored paper, as it’s very difficult to take a resume on colored paper seriously.

Additionally, don’t fudge. This not only includes your qualifications or your past job info, but also your technical skills and proficiencies. If a job is asking for, say, Excel skills, this means they are going to expect you to work with a spreadsheet. This could be a problem if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Modern Tips

Because of the Internet and the power of social media, it’s not enough to just build your resume with achievements and proficiencies. You need to have an online presence. Studies show a whopping 93% of recruiters will seek out your online profiles before making the call to interview you.

Therefore, be proactive here and put your social media links on your resume. Putting a link to your LinkedIn site, for instance, will make your resume more appealing. After all, nobody will have to poke around the net trying to figure you out.

Following these tips won’t necessarily guarantee a phone call from a potential employer. However, they will increase the likeliness of your resume getting noticed and considered. That may seem like a small step, but considering the competitiveness of the semiconductor engineering job market, it’s an important step to take.

-By Lucy Wyndham

(lucy.writer@lumenmail.net)