How do I make my resume stand out?
One of the biggest red flags on a resume is bad spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Even though not everyone is great at these things, it's important for job applicants to show that they care enough to make sure their resume is well-written and polished.
- Respond Directly to the Job Description. ...
- Describe Accomplishments, Not Responsibilities. ...
- Quantify Your Accomplishments. ...
- Use the Summary Section for Distinguishing Details. ...
- Ignore Irrelevant Information.
- Write a strong professional summary. ...
- Divide your resume into sections with headings. ...
- Choose a font scheme. ...
- Use a professional format. ...
- Ask for feedback. ...
- Proofread your resume. ...
- Split up blocks of text with bullet points. ...
- Make use of white space.
- Be strategic. Your resume isn't a list of everything you've ever done. ...
- Keep it consistent. No matter what formatting choice you make, maintain editorial consistency by using that format throughout the document. ...
- Include a variety of experiences. ...
- Think like an employer. ...
- Keep it visually balanced.
One of the biggest red flags on a resume is bad spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Even though not everyone is great at these things, it's important for job applicants to show that they care enough to make sure their resume is well-written and polished.
- Keep your resume short and direct. ...
- Create an original resume template. ...
- Highlight relevant skills and experiences. ...
- Demonstrate results with numbers and metrics. ...
- Craft a career snapshot. ...
- Optimize your text. ...
- Think beyond your job duties. ...
- Use the right language to stand out.
- Irrelevant hobbies and interests. ...
- Too many soft skills. ...
- Your professional headshot. ...
- First-person pronouns. ...
- The wrong kind of email. ...
- Your mailing address (if you're applying out-of-state)
- An organized layout is VERY important.
- Put format first.
- Triple-check spelling and grammar!
- List experience in chronological order.
- Identify your achievements: Challenge, actions, and results.
- Show leadership.
- Incorporate statistics.
- Use words such as achieved, created, and influenced.
The chronological resume (also known as the reverse-chronological format) is the most popular format and the best resume format for experienced candidates. The chronological resume emphasizes your work history section, where you list information about current and past jobs with the most recent job first.
Generally, experts recommend keeping about 10-15 years of work experience on your resume, but that guidance changes depending on your professional history. Your resume is one of the first things a potential employer sees about you.
What not to put on a resume?
- High School Information. ...
- References. ...
- Personal Information. ...
- Your Age. ...
- Your Exact Street Address. ...
- A Career Objective. ...
- Your Current Work Contacts. ...
- Your Personal Email Address.
- Make sure you meet the qualifications. Qualifications for being considered for a job are usually listed at the bottom of the job ad. ...
- Customize your resume. ...
- Focus on your accomplishments. ...
- Include your most relevant skills. ...
- Add a cover letter. ...
- Use a connection. ...
- Use a basic font. ...
- Add a skills section.
The Golden Triangle
Many recruiters see hundreds of resumes per week, so they learn to quickly scan for the information they need. In most cases, that scan is in the shape of a right triangle – across the top and then down the left side, noticing less and less of the information on the right as they move down the page.
- Typos and Grammatical Errors. ...
- Lack of Specifics. ...
- Attempting the "One–Size–Fits–All" Approach. ...
- Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments. ...
- Going on Too Long or Cutting Things Too Short. ...
- Bad Summary. ...
- No Action Verbs. ...
- Leaving Off Important Information.
Chronological Resume
This is the most common type of resume format and is generally preferred by most hiring managers. A chronological resume leads with your work history, which should list your current and previous positions in reverse chronological order.
- Personal Information. Name Current and Permanent address (may be omitted from a resume posted on the web) ...
- Objective. In one short sentence summarize your goal for your job search. ...
- Education. ...
- Work and Related Experience. ...
- Awards and Honors. ...
- Activities/Hobbies. ...
- Skills. ...
- References (3-5 people)
You can make a good first impression with a compelling summary. At the top of your resume, the summary or overview section should highlight your key skills, experience, qualifications and achievements. You should also add your name and email address at the top of your resume so that it's easy to find.
Hiring managers look at resumes for an average of 7.4 seconds, according to an eye tracking study. The study, conducted once in 2012 and again in 2018, used sensor technology to analyze which parts of a resume recruiters focused on and how long they spent on each resume overall.
- A career objective. Put simply: A career objective is largely obsolete. ...
- Your home address. ...
- Soft skills in a skills section. ...
- References. ...
- Stylized fonts. ...
- High school education. ...
- Your photograph. ...
- Company-specific jargon.
Filler words in resumes are as good as you going “uhhm”, “well”, “ah-huh”. They don't do add any value to what you're saying and make you sound redundant. In your resume, words like “team player”, “strong work ethics”, “reliable”, “experienced” would be the equivalent of these filler words.
What makes a weak resume?
While not all bad resumes look alike, some common qualities of bad resume examples are being messy, disorganized layout, being too long, using an unprofessional font, or simply having uninspired content.
- Critical thinking and problem solving.
- Teamwork and collaboration.
- Professionalism and strong work ethic.
- Oral and written communications skills.
- Leadership.
If an employer is asking for a resume, they are looking for an overview of your skills, experience, and other qualifications you bring to a position.
Standing out often comes from hard, consistent work. Attitude. There's no denying that positive people have better relationships. Keeping an upbeat attitude and being pleasant to be around can really make you stand out from everyone around you, especially if you're surrounded by toxic people.
These can be professional skills, areas of expertise, personal qualities, or any relevant experience. Also, consider any impressive accomplishments from your past or career goals that speak to your commitment to the field. Think of ways to out-do the other candidates.
For starters, I have all the skills and experience listed in the job description, and I'm confident that I can make an immediate impact on your company. It's not just my background in leading successful projects for Fortune 500 companies, but also my passion for the industry that drives me to succeed.
You can talk about skills from the job posting or your transferable skills. And you don't have to limit your qualifications to paid work. Whatever uniquely qualifies you for the position could come from volunteer work or from experiences at school.