February 28, 2017
by Radhika Sri Paravastu
For many job seekers, a resume is the one chance they have to capture a potential employer’s attention. To help job seekers land a career opportunity in the green industry, GreenhomeNYC recently organized the Resume Speed (up)Dating workshop at Steven Winter Associates. The event saw a mix of participants ranging from students to industry practitioners, all seeking a better career in the green industry. Each participant’s resume was reviewed by several sustainability professionals.
Most of the reviewers pointed out that every detail included in a resume should be well thought-out, intentional, and appropriate to the kind of job you are seeking. Here are ten takeaways from the event:
Use narrow margins to fit more content on a page.
Include your name, followed by any major professional certifications.
It is always better to include a professional objective or summary to give a broad overview of your career trajectory.
Only include professional experience that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.
Always include your education after your professional job experience, unless you have no relevant professional experience.
Always include relevant software skills such as MS Office, and professional software skills like AutoCAD or ArcGIS. If you speak foreign languages, include that along with the level of fluency.
Do not include anything that draws attention away from the content of your resume, like distracting font changes or large spaces between different sections of the resume.
Summarize your experience in bullets, not paragraphs, and use action verbs.
Include volunteer work to show your involvement and dedication to the community.
Lastly, always keep the content clear, concise and easy to read.
If you were unable to attend the event, don’t worry; seek out professionals in the industry who can offer their thoughts on your resume. The more people who give you advice, the better chance you have of finally landing that dream job!
