Impression is everything when it comes to landing a job. That impression mainly comes from how you present yourself and of course, your resume. With the increasing number of job seekers every year, it’s not unusual for employers to simply glance at resume when deciding on people who can take the next step in their job application. Besides, they do not have the time in the world to read every resume. And that includes your resume, so you need to make them toss your resume in the “yes” pile.
If you want a chance, here are eight simple ways to stand out with your resume.
- Make sure your skills respond with the job description.
Instead of readying your resume first and passing it to every job advertisement you find, it is better to fit your skills with the job description. It will show that you read the job carefully and that matters to most employers. Your skills are highlighted at the same time. Just remember to put it in the center where it can catch the employers’ attention. You will want to sell yourself using that small space, so it needs to be concise yet informative.
- Use a simple and professional design.
No matter how you want to catch employers’ attention, you should not use colored fonts or fancy typeface. Note that you can use one or two kinds of font color, as long as it is not along the neon spectrum. You will want to consider professionalism in this aspect. There are numerous resume formats available. In choosing, it should be simple, neat, and readable but not boring-looking. Relevant information must be easily seen in your format. It needs to stand out without explicitly showing off.
- Emphasize your assets.
This is important because you are essentially pitching yourself during the short time employers will look at your resume. Write things that will make them think you can become an “asset” in their company. You will not want to write skills commonly found among job seekers. Emphasize your skills, knowledge, experiences, accomplishments, and even talents that can be useful to their company. You will have an advantage position when your assets match the company’s needs.
- Don’t forget to include some professional “buzzwords”.
In emphasizing your assets, you will need words that are not descriptive but verbs that will showcase your ability. This can be in the form of words, such as led, influenced, developed, planned, and organized, among others. This looks professional and at the same time, shows what you did or you CAN do. Just make sure you can guarantee these “buzzwords” into action once hired. You will not want to eat your words later on.
- Quantify and qualify your accomplishments.
Despite the consideration of simplicity and conciseness, you need to describe accomplishments relevant to the job description. Provide details and numbers. If you have past job experiences, describe your tasks and how you were able to accomplish it. The professional buzzwords can be effectively used in this section. Providing details can create venue for the employers to consider you for an interview, as this can invoke interest.
- Do not include everything.
As much as you want to provide details, do not include every accomplishment you had. Or do not include every seminar you attended. The key here is like writing a news article. You need to cover the essentials while thinking of the word count. Similarly, try to fit in your profile into two to three pages and make sure you have covered the important details. Consider the attention span of your reader as well. Who would want to read something long that is not interesting at all on their part? Choose whatever is relevant to the company you are applying for.
- Include a photo and header
Most job seekers include photo at the top section of their resume. You may or may not include one. If you include one, make sure the photo is clear and professional-looking. A header though is important, which can be placed just below your name and contact details. For instance, write ‘Experienced Academic Writer/Editor’. Think of it as branding yourself. This will make you sell.
- Proofread!
Finally, after you finish writing the whole resume, be sure to proofread it. Notice grammatical errors up to the last punctuation mark, and even some format defects. Make it almost perfect.
Now, you are ready to pass that resume. Cheers and good luck!
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