The clock is ticking. More candidates are sending through their resumes at the same company you’re applying for.
But you don’t have full confidence that the quality of your application is at its peak. So, you do a few more rounds of revision and proofreading.
Another day passes without you sending your resume. The deadline is around the corner.
Before you know it, you send off your application at the last minute.
Does this scenario sound familiar?
It’s common for job seekers to be perfectionists or to go through the phase of analysis paralysis. Others may end up rushing their application with minimal research and then crossing their fingers hoping for the best.
If you want to send more quality job applications and land an interview sooner without having any second thoughts, this guide is for you.
How Long Does it Take to Write a Good Resume?
It takes between one to eight hours to make a resume, depending on the complexity of your work history and your familiarity with resume writing. For students or graduates, it could take less than an hour since your work experience is more limited. While it may take up to 8 hours for seasoned professionals because they need to be more selective.
- Entry-Level Resume: If you have limited work experience, creating a basic, effective resume can take one to two hours. This includes gathering your information, deciding on the resume format, and writing concise descriptions of your relevant experiences and skills.
- Mid-Level Resume: If you have several years of work experience, it may take more time, typically a day or two, to craft a well-structured resume that highlights your achievements and career progression. This allows you to carefully choose the most relevant experiences and tailor your resume to the job you're applying for.
- Senior-Level or Executive Resume: Creating a resume for a senior-level or executive position can be a more extensive process. It often involves working with a professional resume writer or career coach to ensure that the resume effectively conveys your leadership, strategic, and executive skills. This process may take a week or more, including multiple drafts and revisions.
- Career Change or Specialized Resume: If you are making a career change or have a specialized background, such as in academia or creative fields, it might take longer to create a resume that effectively communicates your transferable skills or unique qualifications. This could take a few days to a week.
- Resume Updates: If you already have a well-crafted resume and are making minor updates, like tailoring a resume to a job description, the process can be relatively quick, often just a few hours.
The Ideal Length of a Resume
One-page resumes are the way to go. No matter how many years of experience you have or your skill level, we recommend this as the ideal resume length for all job seekers.
That being said, it doesn’t mean it reduces the quality of your ATS resume just because it’s one page. In fact, it’s more compelling since everything is done intentionally, which also demonstrates a level of skill.
More importantly, it’s more than enough to pass the resume scanners.
So a can a resume be 2 pages isn’t necessary unless you really want to add more relevant information that would help.
How to Speed Up the Resume Writing Process
We’ve included 7 hacks you can use to speed up the resume writing and job search process with minimum effort.
1. Get Inspiration From Proven Resume Examples
Look at ATS ats resume for your job title and from other candidates that are in a similar position as you.
For instance, if you’re a student then it’s worth looking at other resume examples for students.
When you review what’s worked for others, it means you won’t have to go through writer’s block to figure out what to write next. However, that doesn’t mean copying those samples. Instead, take inspiration from their approach so you won’t have to keep second-guessing.
2. Start Your Resume With an Outline
Before you even write your first point, start by making a rough outline of everything you’re going to cover.
This way, you’ll have all of your ideas written in front of you. Consequently, it saves time since you won’t have to keep pausing to think as you’re writing your resume and it helps you articulate your thoughts and ideas.
So, take note of all the things you’re going to cover for each section. An example could be the academic achievements to how to list education on resume.
After writing everything down, you can start the draft and perfect the application when editing.
It’s a simple strategy yet highly effective.
If you’re trying to perfect things on the first go, it leads to analysis paralysis and makes the process a lot more draining. As a fellow perfectionist, this approach has helped a lot to speed up the writing process without losing quality.
3. Adopt the “Use it or Lose it” Mindset
Now that you know what you’re going to talk about, pinpoint the details that are relevant.
If there are points that aren’t as relevant, consider removing them from your resume. In other words, either use it or lose it.
This approach improves the flow of your writing and saves the recruiter’s time since you’re making it concise. It also helps with removing fluff and filler words that reduce the impact of your application, e.g. resume buzzwords to avoid.
As a result, the editing process is more straightforward as you won’t be dwelling over too much information.
4. List the Resume Keywords Required
You’re probably aware that you need to do background research on the company to create a resume that passes the applicant tracking system.
But really, it means including resume keywords that the hiring manager is expecting.
Often, this is one of the most time-consuming parts of creating a resume. However, it’s necessary if you want to prove you’re a good match for their specific job opening.
Instead of doing constant back and forth with the job description, find the keywords they’re looking for and note them down on a list. This speeds up the resume writing process and makes it easier as you go.
Watch the short clip below to see how it works!
5. Use Proofreading Tools Such as Grammarly
Grammarly is a lifesaver when it comes to proofreading written work.
Not just for resumes. But, writing professionals in general will use this to make the editing process faster and easier. This helps you immediately catch any small typos or spelling mistakes that you may have missed.
Another alternative is to ask a family or friend to read through your work.
Since you’re getting a fresh perspective, they may catch things that you haven’t noticed.
A single error can affect the what to put on a resume. So, double-check your application thoroughly – there’s no going back once you’ve hit send.
6. Get Feedback
Another way to speed up the resume writing process is to get feedback from one of two options:
- Career expert
- Resume grader
Instead of constantly researching or asking yourself how to make your resume better, get the input of a qualified professional. This way, you won’t have to doubt the quality of your application and send it to your employers with full confidence.
With the second option, some resume builders like Rezi allow you to get a free analysis of your job application.
7. Use an AI Resume Writer. AI is revolutionizing multiple industries – it’s no different with resume writing.
Job seekers can now use AI to create the perfect application with minimal effort. This prevents writer’s block completely. It’s that simple yet highly effective in helping you get more job offers and interviews faster.
All you need to do is enter a few details such as
- Name
- Industry
- Experience level
Here’s how it works.
Step 1: Sign up for a free account on Rezi.
Step 2: Click on “create new cv/resume” on the left side of the screen.
Step 3: Enter your details on the form provided.
Step 4: Head over to the experience section and fill out the details required.
Step 5: Click on the “generate bullet” button.
Step 6: Next, click on the “apply suggestion” button.
Step 7: Repeat the process until you complete your resume section. After completing it, you can move on to the next.
Get Job Offers Faster by Using an AI-Powered Resume Builder
Are you struggling to write and send more high-quality resumes faster?
It takes time to personalize your application and to do background research on the company you’re applying for.
But, it’s a step in resume writing that’s essential to land your next job opportunity.
The challenge is that it can take hours, days, and even weeks to complete.
If you’d like to receive more job offers over a shorter period of time, you’ll need to send more tailored resumes that prove you’re a strong candidate.
With Rezi, you can skip more than half of the process without feeling overwhelmed.
In total, they have 176,000+ users.
Out of all those candidates, 62.18% have secured an interview.
Join the group of successful candidates by signing up using the link below!
Explore Rezi 🔥 Comes with 5,000 AI Credits, and is free forever, no credit card required.
Never Miss Deadlines Again
Use these hacks to speed up the resume writing process and to prevent yourself from missing deadlines.
However, don’t neglect the quality of your resumes.
If you’re rushing your application, there’s a risk of compromising its quality. That’s why it’s important to give yourself enough time to prepare.
Writing a complete resume doesn’t need to be difficult. Using Rezi’s AI feature, it makes the entire process easier and saves hours of your time.
