Keep Your Resume Concise And Appealing
Our attention spans are becoming shorter and shorter these days. Keeping your resume short and sweet is ideal. Its easier to read bulleted skills and responsibilities than a large paragraph. A pop of color on your resume to highlight your name and what you do, maybe with a custom logo, is eye-catching and will make your resume stand out in a stack of talent.
Save Your Resume As A Pdf File
You want to make it as easy as possible for hiring managers to review your resume. One way to help them is by saving your resume as a PDF instead of an editable document, like a Word document. Saving a file as a PDF ensures that the file will be easy to open, and it will retain all formatting so you dont have to worry about design and layout issues.
When you save your resume file, also be mindful of the file name. The hiring manager is going to see the name of the file. Use phrasing that makes it easy for them to find and access your file like: Resume for .
How To Make Your Resume Stand Out And A Winning One
In todays competitive cut throat market, it is very important to stand out in the crowd to get noticed. Be it in person or on your resume. As we all know that recruiters spend very little time to scan through a resume, it becomes more important to make that 10-15 seconds count. There is no 1 set format or standard which should be followed to develop a resume. When your resume is being compared to all other resumes laid on the table, it is all about how your resume looks like in comparison to the piled up other resumes.
Actually, resume writing is not a science wherein the equations should match. Here, you have to follow the small tricks which practically work. Lets see some of the ways you can keep in mind to make your resume stand out from others in the job world:
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Keep It To A Page If You Can
The general rule in the resume world is to keep your resume to one pageif you can. As with anything, there are exceptions. If you have a lot of teaching experience, 2 pages is probably fine. If your resume is longer than a page, ask yourself these questions:
- Does the second page add value? Quality > Quantity!
- Could it be one page if I made it more clear and concise?
- Could it be one page if I restructured or redesigned it?
Im personally a fan of 1-page resumes, just because you have one chance to impress the person who is glancing at the resume. I like the challenge of creating a well-designed one-pager, if you will. It forces you to be concise and precise as you analyze whats most important about what you have to offer.
Resume Tips That Will Help You Get Hired
When you havent updated your resume in a while, it can be hard to know where to start. What experiences and accomplishments should you include for the jobs youve got your eye on? What new resume rules and trends should you be following? And seriously, one page or two?
SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See whos hiring here, and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, and well deliver advice on landing the job right to you.
Well, search no more: Weve compiled all the resume tips you need into one place. Read on for advice and tricks thatll make sure you craft a winning resumeand help you land a job.
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Add And Tweak Critical Keywords
Dont make the mistake of answering each job application with the same generic resume. Instead, take a few extra minutes to mirror it to the keywords and phrases within the ad. Youll be much more likely to make it to the next round of hiring, especially if an applicant tracking system has anything to do with it.
Avoid cramming in as many keywords as you can, or repeating the same words over and over youll end up sounding like a bot yourself. But do get as close as you can to the language of the job description, Leavy-Detrick says. On our example resume, weve peppered in keywords from job postingsmarketing deliverables,compliance,corporate communicationsin a way that sounds natural.
Heres another tip: If you plan to cast a wide net by uploading a general resume to your LinkedIn or Indeed profile, make sure its tailored to the primary job you want then update your keywords when applying to positions that deviate from the norm.
Think Beyond Your Job Duties
Hiring managers dont want to read a list of your job duties. They want concrete examples of your accomplishments in previous positions that show how you can make a difference in this new position.
Rangel said that specific merits are more engaging to read than just your experiences. For example, I reduced operating expenses by 23% in six months is far more interesting to an employer than I have 30 years of sales experience.
When deciding what information to keep or cut out of your resume, focus on striking abstract traits and qualifications in favor of concrete, quantifiable results.
The best resumes highlight a job candidates actions and results, said Bob Myhal, director of digital marketing at CBC Automotive Marketing. Employers want employees who get things done and who take great joy and pride in what they do. Rather than a laundry list of your qualifications, your resume should reflect your accomplishments and enthusiasm for your career.
You shouldnt ignore your skills section either. Sade reminded job seekers to list any industry-relevant apps or programs theyre familiar with and to find ways to incorporate examples of their emotional intelligence and soft skills into their job descriptions.
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No Need For Any Trash Talk
Unless you’ve been absurdly lucky throughout your career, it’s likely you’ve had some less-than-ideal experiences at past companies or maybe even at your current one. Do not include negative information or details about anyone or anything, neither in your resume nor in your cover letter.
And, it should go without saying, but you really shouldn’t trash talk past or current employers or teammates in your interview. You are above that, and it is never a good look.
Write A Two Page Resume
Thereâs been a lot of chatter recently about the importance of the length of your resume. Traditionally, resumes were supposed to be one page, no exceptions. Whether youâre a fresh college grad or a seasoned CEO, you were expected to limit your resume to one page.
With the advent of ATS systems, you probably need two pages to include all of the relevant keywords theyâre scanning for. Whether youâre over or under that target, this article on resume length will help you adjust your content.
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No Relevant Work Experience No Worries
Suppose youre applying for an entry-level position without past work experience, or transitioning to a new career path, or rejoining the workforce after a long gap. In that case, you may not have the work experience of other applicants. But, there are different ways to showcase your fit for the position by choosing a resume format and including information that highlights other valuable skills and experiences you can bring to your prospective employer.
Customize The Resume For Each Job
This can sound frustrating, but generic resumes dont work. You need to optimize a resume for each job you apply and describe yourself as the right candidate for this specific job. No need to rewrite the resume from top to bottom every time, but you surely will need to adjust the career summary, skills and your most recent job description. Remember that the recruiter is looking for a person to address the specific challenge the company is facing, so be ready to prove that you can excel in this position.
Another reason to adapt a resume for every company to make your resume stand out is that most companies use ATS, and if you dont insert the keywords from the job posting, your resume can be marked as irrelevant.
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A Professional Resume Editor Can Make Your Resume Shine
If you have no time to write and rewrite a resume, consider a professional resume editing service company offering resume editing services to professionals at all levels. A professional writer will edit your CV online, correcting the most popular mistakes and making your document more effective. The writer will improve the writing style, and the resume structure and adapt it for ATS to maximize your interview chances. Moreover, the price for resume revision services is affordable even for students.
Craft A Career Snapshot
More recently, career experts have urged job seekers to do away with the old objective statement and instead consider including a brief summary, called a career snapshot, at the top of their resume.
With the career snapshot, you present a branding statement that briefly explains your unique value as well as your skills and qualifications, said Tomer Sade, CEO of Book a Space. This would then be followed by a few bullet points that highlight your experience and your accomplishments. Whatever you list here should be relevant to the position youre applying to.
The top third of your resume is prime resume real estate, added Lisa Rangel, an executive resume writer and CEO of Chameleon Resumes. Create a robust summary to capture the hiring managers eye.
Think of your career snapshot as an answer to the question How would you describe your work experience in one sentence? The summary is an opportunity to sum up your most relevant and important skills, experience, or assets right off the bat.
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Target Your Resume To The Industry And Position You Want
One of the best ways to make your resume immediately stand out to employers is by customizing it for the specific position you want.
Hiring managers write job descriptions with certain skills and experience in mind, and no two job descriptions are exactly alike .
So to make your resume stand out, scan through the job description and look for specific skills or traits that the hiring manager is seeking in new hires. Then, mirror this language in your resumes experience section and skills section to show them that you have all the expertise needed to excel in the job.
While targeting your resume this way for each job you apply to can be time-consuming, its one of the most effective ways to pique the interest of employers and convince them youre worth inviting in for an interview.
Highlight Awards And Recognition
Demonstrating that others value your contributions often has a greater influence than you tooting your own horn. Include a category heading for honors and awards if you can fill it with formal recognitions.
In your descriptions of the awards, use keywords that imply recognition, like “selected,” “elected,” and “recognized.” Quality recommendations are another form of recognition. Beef up your and be sure to include a link to your profile on your resume. If an employer asks for written recommendations, select recommenders who know your skills and accomplishments well.
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Include Job Related Interests
You dont need to tell employers about everything you like doing, especially not generic things like watching television or playing sports. But, if your hobbies, personal interests or volunteer positions tie in with the job, including them helps to show employers that you really are passionate about the work you do, or would like to do.
Reach Out To Your Network
Arranging informational interviews with people you are connected to can also help your resume stand out, according to Schweikert. Most applications are submitted online, and the volume of resumes that hiring managers must sift through can be overwhelming at times so establishing a personal connection can help you get noticed, she says. Plus, if you are invited in for an official interview, you can bring up what you discussed at the informational one. You can say, hey I did a lot of research on the organization and met with Susie Q and they shared this with me,’ Schweikert says.
After your informational interview, you can reach out to that contact and ask that they glance over your resume, making sure to pose as many specific questions as possible about how you should tailor your resume to the company or specific role, Schweikert adds. For example, if you are struggling to decide whether to include your college activities on your resume, reaching out to your connection for advice can provide invaluable insight on whether that might be important to that company.
Kim also encourages informational interviews, as they are a great opportunity to learn more about an industry, company or specific role. There is also significant value in having someone else look over your resume. A second pair of eyes can bring a lot of fresh perspective, she says.
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Make It Visually Appealing
While recruiters will appreciate a well-designed resume, make sure your creativity is professional. Here are a few things to consider when designing a modern resume:
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Font style: Make sure the font you use is legible. Use a professional font like Georgia, Times New Roman, Calibri or Helvetica.
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Font size: Choosing an appropriately-sized font will ensure a recruiters ability to read the content of your resume. Size 12 font should suffice.
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Template: Keep your designs minimal and aesthetically appealing. If youre using a template, make sure the visual elements dont distract from the content of your resume.
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Color choices: Use an attractive color scheme when designing your resume. Opt for black, white and a third color like blue or green. White is a great background color, black is best for text and your third color can highlight important details on your resume.
If youre applying for a creative job, your resume is the first sample of your design work that recruiters will see. Make sure you display your unique style. Having a clean and legible resume will ensure their ability to read it thoroughly without confusion or distraction.
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Include A Resume Summary
A resume is all about telling your story to the recruiter. If you cant hook them with the beginning, they won’t be interested to know the whole story. Your resume summary is that hook that will make them go through your resume.
Just under your name and title, you should add the summary thatll state who youre, what you have to offer that organization once you get hired, and your top relevant skills.
If you are unsure of what to include in your resume summary, you can use resume generator apps like Rezi to generate a summary.
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Dont Be Afraid To Go Bold
If youre applying for an investment banking job, a hot-pink resume probably wont do you any favors. But subtle pops of color, like the orange used here, will work for just about everyone.
Another strategy for making your resume stand out is, of course, with the content you put on it. In 2022, youll get extra credit for highlighting your resilience. How have you dealt with change and managed your time over the strangest two-year period most of us have experienced? Kept your team engaged and mitigated turnover? Shaped company culture in a hybrid work environment where coworkers are now living in different cities, and maybe even different time zones?
The work environment has changed, Leavy-Detrick says. Employers have had to adjust. Prove that you can too.
Use Resume Tools To Check The Relevance
Today, most online job postings use an Applicant Tracking System . These systems use Artificial Intelligence and advanced algorithms to decide if a recruiter or hiring manager even sees your application. When an application is submitted, the system checks the resumes text for specific keywords to ensure that the resume and application are relevant to the job description. If it doesnt match the job description or information provided by the employer, the candidates resume may not even be passed along to be reviewed by a real person.
Thats why its helpful to put similar resume review tools to work for you before applying. There are many free and paid programs and websites that can check the relevance and grade on the quality of your resume. Find the best resume improvement tool for your needs with a quick Google search for phrases like resume ats tool, resume grading tool, or other similar search phrases.
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Speak To Cultural Fit
One of the most neglected areas of most people’s resumes and cover letters is how they describe and emphasize their cultural fit. Employers are interested not only in whether you possess the requisite technical skills and experience to do the job but also in how well you will fit in culturally. You can find out more about a prospective employer’s culture by doing some research before writing your application package.
If it is a publicly traded company, look at their annual general meeting statement and read the opening remarks, as well as scan the corporate social responsibility section of their website. You can also look at if and how the company has made the news, including for its charitable and volunteering efforts, or look at their video content on YouTube. Following companies on social media is another way to get a feel for corporate culture.