Writing a great resume has always been challenging. It comes as no surprise that people devote their entire careers to properly composing these professional documents.
Knowing how to pen a captivating resume is a sought-after skill. Whole courses, workshops, and books focus on the subject. The takeaway from this is that the world is obsessed with looking good on paper — even though there’s not much paper going around anymore.
With digital platforms and electronic scanning systems dominating the hiring process, finding a job now is very technical. The modern business landscape has changed quite drastically. Your resume might pass through several computers before a person even sees it.
Although that may feel discouraging, it shouldn’t be. In fact, you can use this to your advantage.
By learning how to think like job search engines and scanning systems, you can optimize your resume. When a person finally does read your resume, you will appear to be the perfect candidate. That’s because you will be!
Here are three major life hacks and tips on how to spice up your resume:
Don’t Beat Around the Bush
You may have heard it before; most recruiters don’t look past the first page of resumes.
That’s not necessarily because they’re too busy. It’s because they don’t see what they’re looking for on the first page. Scaling your resume down to size is the first step. One to two pages is ideal.
Now, here is where you can incorporate some social media tactics.
Think of LinkedIn:
It works just like Facebook but for business people. The site utilizes a headline and summary format for each profile. This format gives people viewing profiles to get all the information they need in one glance. Incorporating this style into the beginning of your resume is an easy way to grab a recruiter’s attention.
A killer headline is short and stands out. Once you have hooked your reader, give them an overview of your work in your summary. In both of these areas, the use of keywords is recommendable.
All recruiters have a set of keywords that they look out for. If you sprinkle keywords throughout your headline and summary, you will get their attention from the start.
Generally speaking, you ought to highlight your way with words as much as you can. Avoid overused phrases and dull descriptions. Allow your uniqueness to come to the forefront. Try to describe your skills and capabilities in original ways.
Be precise when providing information about your expertise and even your successes.
See Also: 5 Tips To Making Your Resume Cover Letter Stand Out
Razzle Dazzle ‘Em
Writing a resume isn’t akin to performing in a Broadway show, but there’s something that you can learn from it. Recruiters want to see what makes you so unique and why you are a brilliant candidate.
Make it crystal clear for them. Show what makes you a cut above the rest. Put on your figurative dancing shoes and wow them with your skills.
Focus on situations in which you were the cream of the crop. Elaborate on the most critical thing you achieved in each job position. Mention anything that you have received public recognition for doing.
However, avoid including things that are irrelevant to the job posting. The information you include should always apply to the job you’re trying to secure.
Customizing your resume is another must. You should never send the exact same resume to two completely different jobs. Modifying your resume for each separate job application will mean a higher success rate.
Although it may seem like a lot of work, it doesn’t have to be. You can have templates for different industries or disciplines that you can slightly tweak before applying.
Don’t forget to use a quantitative language. Be explicit when describing just how much you were able to increase sales. If you really need to, don’t shy away from investing in the services of a professional resume writer.
Services like Trust My Paper have writers with a broad spectrum of specializations to assist you in eloquently expressing all the essential aspects of your career, highlighting how you’ve transformed throughout the years, and underlining your qualities, making you an outstanding pick.
Harness Your Inner Marie Kondo
If you haven’t seen the Netflix show about sparking joy and organization, don’t worry. You can still take a page from Kondo’s organizing book.
The moral of her story is to keep what makes you happy and gives you purpose. Say goodbye to everything else. Apply the same idea to your resume.
Cut out all superfluous information. Your resume would benefit from some consolidation. Do your best to avoid repetition. Use a thesaurus if necessary. Stay away from using job description-type language and define your position in another way.
Your content should be concise and your organization of it should be functional. Use bolding and italics to distinguish different areas like job title or dates of employment. Ensure that you are using an appropriate font.
Although you may want to incorporate some visual or design elements, keep your font legible and straightforward. Arrange your sections to be clear and visually pleasing.
The way that your resume looks says a lot about you. Taking the time to design a nice resume will pay off. Including a great headshot at the top corner is a good idea as well.
If you have great content but poor presentation, you may be passed over for a job. Conversely, if you have a beautiful resume but terrible content, the same can happen.
You should have the best of both worlds.
Beautiful resumes will catch a recruiter’s attention and make them want to read. Reading and seeing well-organized content that highlights the skills they are looking for is a recruiter’s dream.
When you can achieve the perfect blend, your resume will benefit from that. Ask a friend or confidant to review your resume and see what they think of your balance.
See Also: 16 Worst Resume Mistakes
Conclusion
Recruiters and hiring managers have plenty of experience finding suitable candidates. The easiest way to show your merit is to polish and showcase your skills. Presenting your abilities in a beautiful, brilliant way will help get them noticed.
When you put effort into writing and organizing your resume, it becomes obvious. No one will appreciate a sad, haphazard resume.
Spend some time developing one or more templates for different industries you’ve worked in over the years. With this strategy, you don’t have to start from scratch every time you see a job posting.
Research the business you are applying to see what kind of language they use on their website. Try to incorporate that language into your resume. Only do this if it’s relevant to your experience, of course.
Businesses will welcome your efforts. The fact that you took the time to do research will say a lot about you. Getting straight to the point is a more efficient use of your first page. Not to mention, it will help recruiters decide if you fit the profile they need. If your descriptions hit the nail on the head, you certainly will.
Presenting all of your best attributes isn’t merely boasting; it’s excellent resume writing.
Don’t be shy. Let your accomplishments speak for themselves. You absolutely want recruiters to be impressed by all the recognition you have received along the way.
If you’re lucky, your track record will be the defining factor that helps you snag the job of your dreams. Fingers crossed and good luck to you.
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Author: Melanie Sovann
Melanie Sovann, born in 1990 in the greater LA area, is a seasoned writer and blogger, passionate about a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from technology to sociology. She is currently a writer and editor at Trust My Paper and an avid contributor at 3to5marketing.com, her own blog that has amassed a sizable following over the years.
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