Put simply your resume has just one job to do – and that is to land you that job interview. What you will need to keep in mind is that the person reviewing the resumes probably has to look through many others so how do you make your resume really stand out?
Read on our simple tips will show you how to make your resume really stand out.
- Focus on your achievements – many resumes seem full of duties, what a person did in a previous role without saying what – if anything they achieved, so be sure to list any awards or recognitions – employee of the month, Trainee of the month, most sales – anything that shows you went above being just an employee.
- Use full job titles, don’t say you were a manager – say you were a manager of distribution and logistics. Use a job title that is specific and will give the interviewer more of an idea of what your previous role was. Interviewers often scan resumes but full titles will be more eye-catching and noticeable.
- Consider what it is the employer needs in a worker – read the job description carefully and make sure your resume matches these requirements. If the interviewer can’t see their job in your resume they won’t bother to call you in. If the position is for a computer programmer, your resume needs to reflect you are a computer programmer and that you could be perfect for the job.
- Target your resume for the job, the best resume’s don’t look *mass produced* and are instead targeted to each individual job – so make your resume relevant to the job you are applying for. Again read the job description carefully and if you have a skill or skills they are looking for highlight them in your resume – this will increase your chances of a call
- Ensure your resume is easy to read – use proper formatting and leave enough space between lines and margins – don’t squeeze too much information onto the page, this will make it difficult to read and if it’s too hard to read they won’t bother. Some tips here include using bullet points to list your accomplishments and either Arial or Times New Roman fonts in size 11 or 12.
- The use of action words will make your resume stand out – if you can use action verbs to showcase your accomplishments – rather than saying you answered the phone – saying you communicated with customers and helped address any issues or problems to maintain good customer relations sounds far more compelling.
- Proofread your resume not once but at least twice – if not more. There is nothing worse than receiving a resume full of spelling mistakes or grammatical errors. This looks bad and will reflect badly on you, immediately showing you have a lack of attention to detail, after all who would want to hire someone that submits untidy/sloppy work? Before sending your resume make sure there aren’t any mistakes this will show your talents in the best possible light.
We hope these tips have helped you to create an eye catching resume that will bring you success and those much needed job interviews. A resume that stands out from the rest can only bring great opportunities your way
