It takes around six seconds for a recruiter to scan your resume. So you have six seconds to impress.

This is great news, because it means that with a few quick adjustments to your resume, you can create a lasting impression.

To help you, we’ve enlisted the assistance of career coach and business consultant, Karen Southall Watts.

Below you will find Karen’s top resume tips.

For recent graduates

If you have a new qualification, then push education up higher on the page. For job seekers fresh out of school, the education and skills summary are the key sections of your resume.

For Job seekers

If you have a previous position that makes you a great match for an advertised job, there’s no rule that says you can’t highlight your work history, and then put education further down the page.

Understand company culture

According to Watts, understanding the expectations of the industry or job that you want to land in, is one of the keys to a great resume.

“A polished, traditional resume might get you plenty of attention as a finance professional, whereas a company looking for a marketing, PR, or social media person will be expecting more on your LinkedIn profile, your social media profiles and perhaps a dedicated website about your qualifications,” she said.

Quick tips

• Ditch old fashioned and outdated language like “objective statement” and “references available upon request”.

• Get your branding, skills summary and contact info in the top third of page 1.

• Talk about results and not duties at your previous jobs.

• Always read your resume backwards (end to front) before sending. This helps you to find any tiny mistakes you might otherwise gloss over.

If  you want to take re-evaluate what you’re putting out there in a little more depth to your resume, consider doing some personal branding.