The Resume: A Few Simple Tips

Sending off a resume is a vital part of the application process – it gives the potential employer a chance to see your experience and what you might be able to bring to the table. It’s important to keep some of these tips in mind:

1. An objective isn’t necessary

When applying to Pyxl, the objective is a waste of space. Yeah, I said it. Since you’ve already stated what you’re looking to achieve  in your cover letter, it is redundant to state it again in your resume. We will read both carefully, so don’t waste the valuable space on your resume by over-stating your purpose.

However, I can’t speak for all companies. So if you are going to include an objective in your resume, make it meaningful. Give an overview of your ideal position as it specifically applies to the company you are applying to. “To obtain a respective career as part of a team within a respectable company,” is too broad. A better one would be “To obtain a client-centric position at a growing marketing firm where collaboration and new ideas are encouraged.”

2. Save it as a PDF

Please PDF your word document. The hiring manager doesn’t need to be able to edit your resume, so go ahead and finalize it by making it into a PDF. If I receive a resume called “momsresume.docx” you’re doing it wrong, which has happened.

When you save the PDF, be sure to name it something more descriptive than “resume.pdf.”  I suggest “lastname_resume.pdf” to make it easier for the hiring manager to find it again.

3. Show your work

Please include a link to your portfolio if it makes sense for the position you’re applying for. Confession: I don’t actually read a designer’s cover letter or resume until I have reviewed their portfolio. First and foremost, I need to see what you’re able to produce. Knowing specifically where you were designing, writing, etc. is secondary.

I would also recommend setting up an online portfolio – if you’re applying for a digital position, make sure your work is viewable digitally. You don’t even have to create a website, just sign up for an account on Behance or Carbonmade, upload your work and you’re good to go!

4. Keep it short

Try to condense your resume down to one page if you can. However, if you have a wide range of applicable experience then go ahead and make it longer if you need to include everything. If you need to shorten it up, start by taking out the irrelevant information, you don’t need to put every job you ever had. Shorten your descriptions to key responsibilities and results. Go through the job posting’s skills needed and requirements and be sure that you are sharing activities that line up with those.

5. Be patient

Oftentimes, HR has to go through a multi-step processes that simply take a while. If you’ve applied once, wait a couple of weeks before reaching out again. There is no need to apply 3 times, through different mediums, in 3 days.

If you’re on the job hunt and are considering applying to Pyxl, make sure you follow these 5 easy steps and also refer back to our cover letter tips. Check out our open positions to see if any of them are right for you!

Updated: Apr 13, 2022