Writing your resume can be one of the hardest parts of job hunting. Writing about yourself and showing off your professional achievements can be difficult, especially if you are not naturally a writer. One smart option is to hire a resume writing expert, such as a member of the team at ARC Resumes for example, to craft something that will get you that interview. The goal of a good resume, cover letter, and/or CV is to get you that initial interview so you can close the deal and get the job of your dreams.
If you are struggling with your resume or CV, follow these tips to ease the struggle and craft a resume that will lock down that job interview and help you get that dream job.
13 Tips To Make Your Resume, CV, And Cover Letter Stand Out
- Tailor your resume for the job you want. You don’t need to list every job you have ever had since you were 17 years old. Your bar job from college probably isn’t relevant, so leave it off. Highlight the jobs and skills that are most relevant to what you want to do and leave off the rest, just focus on the best.
- Keep a master list of all your jobs. Keep a document on your computer with your full employment history and some bullet points of key achievements. As you are tailoring your resume for each application, you can just go to your master list and copy and paste the bits you need, rather than having to write them out every time.
- Keep your resume concise. If you send over a multi-page document, the hiring manager probably won’t read it all. Cut the waffle, and trim your resume down to a more concise length. Aim for about a page, and no more than two pages if you really can’t get it to a single page. If you are struggling to cut it down, read this guide to organize your resume better.
- If writing your resume is proving to be too tough a challenge, consider bringing in a professional. There are lots of online services for resume writing, so you can use an expert to craft a winning resume. Find a good writer on this page, and let them do the hard work.
- Keep formatting simple. Choose a classic, simple font in a readable size and leave plenty of white space on the page so your resume is easy on the eye and pleasant to read. Use headers for different sections, but keep the rest consistent and not too over the top.
- Be careful about adding extra bells and whistles to your resume. Some people advise adding extra details like infographics to stand out, but use these extra elements sparingly. If you’re applying to a more traditional couple, leave out anything too flashy. If you apply for a role that asks for an application in a particular format, make sure you follow it and don’t get too crazy trying to stand out.
- Put your contact information somewhere prominent. You don’t need to put your address on anymore, but make sure your name, phone number and a professional looking email address at the top. You could also include links to a personal website or LinkedIn page. Just make sure any links lead to profiles that you keep work suitable.
- Design your resume to still make sense when skim read. Hiring managers have a lot of applications to go through. Use headings and bullet points to make sure a skim read can still get your skills across clearly.
- If your experience is in a different industry to the one you are applying for, focus your resume on transferable skills. Include a strong cover letter explaining your interest in an industry change and how your experience will transfer over.
- Don’t stuff with it jargon. Some industry terms are fine, but if you overdo it, you risk making your resume confusing. Remember that your resume will likely be seen by a recruiter or an HR assistant rather first, and they need to understand your skills to be able to pass your resume on to whoever will make the final decision.
- Put in measurable data. In your bullet points, add in achievements that you can back up with numbers. Did you boost your current company’s social media following, or run a campaign that brought in a lot of revenue? Add the numbers to show off your skills in a quantifiable way.
- Don’t leave out any extra work you’ve done that’s relevant. Volunteer positions look great on a resume, and you could even use your hobbies to show off more skills. For example, if you write a blog you could use this to show off your communication skills. Show you’re organised by talking about being the treasurer for your weekend soccer team.
- Use keywords in your resume or CV. Read over the job description and pick out the key terms used. Make sure you’ve used those keywords throughout your resume. This shows you have paid attention to the job description, and will help your application make it through any digital screening. The right keywords could be just what you need for a targeted resume to get that first interview and your foot in the door!
