Making Your Resume Shine

April 10, 2013

 

As you can probably guess, the job market is very competitive right now. Employers get stacks of resumes every day and look at a resume an average of six seconds before deciding to toss it or not. Worried that yours might not make the cut? Here are some helpful tips to make your resume stand out to employers.

Focus on relevance
A resume should tell an employer what they need to know, not what you want to tell them. Make sure to eliminate details that don’t pertain to the skills the employer is looking for.

Make a digital-friendly version
Be certain that your resume is easy to upload, download, scan, print, etc. You just might lose a potential interview if the employer finds it difficult to download your resume so that other hiring managers can view it. Eliminate boxes, bullets, and unusual fonts that might not carry over to different types of computers. Also, use keywords that will stand out in a computerized search and stand out to someone reading your resume in-person.

Add your social media profiles
If you use your Linkedin and Twitter accounts in a professional manner, add them to the contact information on your resume. This lets employers see how you showcase your knowledge online and helps them to have a better understanding of who you are as a person.

Include your interests
Adding interests to your resume that do not relate to work makes you more personable and can also distinguish you from other candidates. Stay away from controversial interests though, like religious and political preferences.

Keep important points at the top 
As stated previously, employers look at a resume on average for six seconds before deciding whether or not to throw it away. They want to immediately see that your skills and experience are a fit for the job. Put the most relevant skills and experiences at the top, then work your way down to the less important information. This way, they immediately see your stellar qualifications and want to interview you!

Clean up your resume regularly
There is nothing worse than going to an interview and having the employer look at a resume that you’re not sure about. Review your resume often and make changes and updates as needed. Make sure it is formatted well with plenty of white space. Try to keep it to 1 page, but if you have more than 5 years of experience, 2 pages is okay. Read over your resume to rid it of typos and and grammatical errors. One misspelled word can instantly make your resume very forgettable.

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