When applying for a new job these days, you will find that your competition is getting tougher with many layoffs over the past year and the number of job seekers are rising. To better your chances of even getting an interview, you may want to spruce up your resume to catch the attention of a hiring manager who is going through hundreds of applications and resumes and standout from the crowd.
Here are some key tips that can help you transform your resume and get more positive results:
Keep the content up to date
First and foremost, when you are working on your resume is to make sure the information you have on there is the most up to date. This includes everything including your contact information, most recent employment information, licenses and certifications newly acquired, as well as your current objective / summary statement. Your objective / summary statement sets the tone for the resume and what the hiring manager can expect about you.
Tailor and Highlight your most relevant skills
With every job you apply to, there are going to be differences in skills and requirements. Pay attention to the top skills or qualifications the company has listed on their job description and make and effort to showcase those in your resume (if you have those). How you show them on your resume is important as well. For important skill requirements, ensure you highlight them under the ‘Skills’ section of your resume in BOLD so that it pops out of the page. You will also want to show the skill again in the experience section under the company that you gained that skill. And if you do not have the exact skill or experience that the company is looking for, showcase relevant skills that can also bring value to their team.
Research the company and take note of their values or what other employees have said about the company in the past. Whatever goals they want to achieve out of this hire, take note and cater your resume to highlight those values you can bring. With a deeper understanding of the job requirements and the company, you can better explain why you are a good match for them.
Clean and easy to read formatting
While the content of your resume is important, how you display that information is just as important. If you are in the technical field for example, you want to keep it clean, simple and easy to read as technical hiring managers have very little time in their day and want to be able to get the information they want in a little time as possible. If you are in the creative industry, there is room to add more colour, design, and flair to highlight your creative side. For positions like sales or quality, you may want to include some numbers that reflect your sales numbers and reduced costs or savings from improved quality. And for leadership type positions, you will want to highlight achievements and examples that reflect your leadership capabilities. Remember who your audience is, what the position you are apply for, the industry that you’re applying to, and prepare your resume accordingly.
Keep it concise
Remember, hiring managers could very possibly be reading through hundreds of resumes and you have a mere 15 to 30 seconds to catch their attention. You want to be able to showcase who you are in those seconds with a clear and concise objective, highlight of relevant skills to the job that you’re applying to, and relevant work experiences. If you have quite a bit of experience under your belt, you will want to focus on your most recent experiences and start to cut down on the information for some of the older or less relevant positions you’ve held in the past.
Proofread and ask for feedback
When you have finished updating your resume, it is important that you proofread before sending out any applications. It is easy to make spelling or grammatical errors and keep an eye out for consistency in formatting such as: differences in font or spacing, use of bullet tabs, differences in how dates are written, etc. These can all be signs for a hiring manager that you may not be someone that pays a high attention to detail and could possibly cut your chances at being considered for the job. You can also get a friend or family member to offer an outside perspective as they may notice things you have overlooked.
As the competition heats up for jobs during these times, the difference between getting an interview or not could be as simple as having a good resume or not. Follow the few tips above the next time you are editing your resume for better results. Better yet, work with a specialized recruiter who can give you key insight to what a potential employer would be looking for.
Contact Us today to speak with one of our Recruitment Specialists and let us help you build your team with talent today!