Tips From the Pros: How to Make a Resume Red Cross Ready

"Your resume is more than a list of jobs—it's your opportunity to tell the story of your impact. If it's been a while since you've updated your resume, now is the perfect time to make sure it reflects your achievements, skills, and career growth. Check out these practical tips to help your resume stand out and be ready for your next opportunity." -- Kara Haulman, American Red Cross Talent Acquisition 

We're here to help you make your career a force for good. That means providing advice on creating a resume that will help you get an interview!

We spoke to Kara Haulman, a member of our Talent Acquisition team, to get her take on what makes a resume Red Cross-ready. 

Make the First Page Count 

“The first thing I do is quickly see if I can match the candidate’s strengths to the role. It helps if the most impactful information is on the first page of the resume. The first two-thirds of the page should showcase what the candidate would like us to know about them. 

Equally important is the presentation of your resume. It should use uniform fonts and be easy to read. Resumes don’t need graphics to get noticed, so it’s okay to skip the overly designed templates and instead focus on a clean and professional resume.” 

Tailor Your Resume 

“A common mistake I see people make is using the same resume for different positions. It’s time-consuming, but it will really help your application if you tailor your resume to the role you're applying to. 

One thing you should do is rewrite your resume with the same language used in the job posting — but make sure it comes across naturally. Don’t overuse keywords for the sake of using the word. 

Finally, put bullet points that reflect the skills and keywords from the job description toward the top two-thirds of your resume.” 

Use Your Summary to Tell a Clear Story 

“Your header or professional summary isn’t just an introduction — it’s your opportunity to immediately mention how your skills match the top requirements of the job. 

Look for keywords that appear multiple times in the job description. If something is repeated, it’s likely a top priority. Reflect those themes in your summary to show alignment right away.” 

Quantify Your Work 

“Strong resumes don’t just mention responsibilities, they also highlight your results. Use this formula for strong resume bullet points: Strong Action Verb + What You Did + Measurable Result. 

Metrics and numbers can always be compelling. It’s great if an achievement can be quantified and put into a succinct bullet that’s easy for hiring managers to understand. 

It might be tempting to go into a lot of detail, but I recommend against including more descriptive stories in a resume. Instead, save them for the interview.” 

Highlight Your Humanitarian Values 

“Showcase the skills we would look for by creating a volunteer section or a community involvement one on your resume. Some soft skills that might make you a good fit for the Red Cross would be the ability to adapt to change, resiliency, cultural sensitivity, and good customer service skills. 

If you volunteered in disaster relief, education or helped with food insecurity in your community, those are great things to call out!” 

If you have questions about applying for a job at the Red Cross, additional information — including commonly asked questions — can be found here. 

You can also connect with Kara Haulman and learn more about job opportunities at the American Red Cross.