A typical job opening attracts an average of 250 resumes. Of those, only two percent get called for the interview.Due to the high number of applications they receive, recruiters spend only a few seconds going through a resume to decide whether a candidate is a perfect fit.
What does this mean?
In order to get a callback from the recruiter, your resume needs to stand out from the rest. This article will share tips on how to create the perfect resume that will make you stand out from the herd.
Writing the Perfect Resume
To land your dream job, you cannot leave anything to chance.
Your qualifications won’t mean much if you do not craft a resume that will draw attention to you. Consider utilizing the following tips:
1. Use Your Resume as a Marketing Tool
Your resume is more than just a document that highlights your qualifications and experience; it is a tool that markets your personal brand. Recruiters are after the value you bring. Make it easy for them to see that. Therefore, when creating your resume, highlight your accomplishments while expressing what you desire to achieve in the future.
In short, let the resume say why you are the ideal person for the position.
2. Customize Your Resume for Each Job Application
In the line of marketing yourself, you may craft a stellar resume for a specific position, but it certainly won’t mean much for a different employer who has different goals. Unsurprisingly, a lot of people make the mistake of sending the same resume to different hiring companies; this is why you might not be getting callbacks.
Instead, research the hiring company to learn their ideals. Next, study their job description so you can have a good idea of what they are looking for. Now tailor your qualifications to meet their needs then send your resume.
If your job search is taking too long, the problem might be your resume.
3. Work on Your Design
The sheer number of resumes that a recruiter has to go through allows them little patience to sieve through the clutter to get to your qualifications. As such, ensure that your resume is concise and straightforward. Do not include irrelevant experience. Also, consider utilizing simple fonts such as Arial or Calibri in 10 – 12 font size.
Utilizing short paragraphs and bullet points will also go a long way in improving your resume’s readability.
4. Have a Skill Summary at the Top
After figuring out what the company is looking for, create a summary of the relevant skills you possess at the top before delving into details later. This will lure the recruiter into wanting to know more about you.
5. Utilize Keywords
During their few seconds survey of a resume, recruiters are usually looking for specific keywords. Other times, the HR team might use a computer program to go through the resumes.A program such as the Applicant Tracking System usually narrows down the numerous applications by looking for the relevant keywords.
This is why you need to know what they are looking for so you can employ those keywords in your resume.
6. Leave Out The Personal Objective Statement
Remember this; recruiters are interested in what you have to offer, not what you want. Personal objective statements usually proclaim what kind of job and organization the candidate is seeking. They are typically placed at the top.
Unfortunately, they are too common in addition to adding no value to the resume. Instead, include a summary of qualifications that describes everything you bring to the table.
7. Have Work Experience Come Before Education
Recruiters are more interested in your professional skills and the experience you have utilizing them than your educational accomplishments. Therefore, unless you graduated recently, consider highlighting your work experience first.
8. Accomplishments Over Responsibilities
During resume preparation, you typically have a couple of bullet points under each title you have held. However, do not use that space to state your responsibilities. Highlight your achievements instead.
Recruiters already have a rough idea of what a particular title entails. Therefore, merely describing your responsibilities won’t reveal whether you were good at the job or not.
Listing your accomplishments shows that you are good at what you do.
9. Have Your Experiences Appear in In a Reverse Order of Chronology
Instead of starting with your most recent job, begin with your first. This allows the recruiter to see how your career progression has been like.
If you happen to have significant employment gaps, explain briefly and move on. Addressing the gaps is essential as they are usually red flags.
10. Do Not Exceed One Page
Unless you are applying for an academic position, the ideal resume shouldn’t exceed one page. Communicate your value concisely because the recruiter is unlikely to start flipping pages.
11. Proofread
After crafting your resume, go through it to look for any errors or inconsistencies. This includes ensuring that your formatting enhances readability in addition to checking for word choice, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Also, make sure that your dates are correct.
12. Get an Outside Opinion
After spending so much time creating your resume, you might develop a personal bias. As such, consider getting an objective perspective from someone else as they might identify some weaknesses.
13. Work On Your LinkedIn Profile
If your resume catches a recruiter’s attention, they might decide to check out your LinkedIn profile as well. As such, it is crucial that you have a stellar LinkedIn profile. Moreover, your profile allows you to include all the details that were irrelevant to the position you were applying for. This gives the recruiter a more in-depth look into who you are.
Besides, most jobs today are gotten through networking. Therefore, LinkedIn is not only important for your job application but also your job search.
It is important, however, that the information in your LinkedIn profile matches up to that which is on your resume.
More Resume Advice
You only have a few seconds to impress a recruiter. As such, a perfect resume is not ideal, but necessary. The above tips should serve as a guide.
However, you cannot leave anything to chance, it is a good idea to have a professional write the resume for you. El Paso Resume Services has helped numerous El Paso residents to secure employment with the help of well written resumes.
With nearly a decade worth of experience surveying the El Paso job market, we have what it takes to help you get that position. Contact us today to learn more about our services.
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