Writing a good resume is a skill anyone in the job market must possess. While creating a good resume might seem like something that everyone is familiar with, this is usually not the case. Many people leave out a lot of important aspects in their resume forgetting that it is their resume that represents them in their absence. Considering several hundred people apply for a given job, your resume needs to stand out. Let us look at how you can make your resume stand out.
Use a good format and layout
Even before reading the contents of your resume, the recruiter will first look at it at face value. Your resume’s layout needs to grab the attention of the person reading it. You need to ensure your resume is well presented with your details articulated properly. The font used should be easy to read, and the font size should be not too big or too small. The details in your resume should not be cluttered, as this is likely to put off the person reading it.
It should also not be too lengthy. This will as well discourage the recruiter from going through your resume. A resume that is too short also makes it seem like you have no experience and lack the proper qualifications for this job. Your resume needs to be just right if you want to be considered for a job. You can use a resume writing service to increase your chances.
Mention necessary personal details and contact information
There are a lot of unnecessary details that people provide in the personal details section. You don’t need to mention things like your religion or gender in a resume. Your name, date of birth, and identification number should suffice in this section. All the rest, like marital status and religion, are not included in your resume. When it comes to contact information, just provide your phone number and email address.
You can add your office number as well if you use different numbers for work and other activities. You do not need to provide outdated information like your fax. The email address you use in your job applications needs to be formal. If you still use that corny email address from 9th grade, you need to change it as soon as possible. This could be the reason behind you not getting any responses to your job application.
Use an eye-catching resume summary
A resume summary will determine whether or not the recruiter continues reading the resume. Recruiters spend less than a minute on a resume. They have hundreds more to go through. Not being clear and concise is a waste of their time which is very limited. Your resume summary needs to grab the attention of whoever is reading it immediately. It needs to clearly highlight the contents of your resume in about 3-4 sentences.
In your resume summary, mention your area of expertise and years of experience. Follow up by mentioning some of your major achievements in this field. You can mention either two or three of these achievements but not in detail. Remember, it’s a summary. Lastly, state some of the goals you have in mind and try to achieve in your line of work.
Highlight your work experience
Work experience is the most important of a resume. This is the part where you will clearly state every internship or job you have had over the years to date. This is where you need to put all the effort when creating your resume. This section needs to sell yourself well by highlighting all the roles, responsibilities, and achievements you hand in while working in these places.
When listing the work experiences, state the job title, the company or organization and its location, all your duties and achievements, and finally, the time you worked there. The information you provide in this section of the resume will determine whether you get the job or not. Therefore, make sure your work experience is clearly stated and honest.
Tailor your resume to the job
You need to make sure that your resume is tailored to fit the job you are applying for. Do not use the same resume you were using to apply for a marketing opportunity to for a humanitarian position. Before submitting the resume, make sure it fits the job you are applying for. This will save both you and the recruiter a lot of time. Remember, they have tons of resumes to go through.
If it is a job in the business field, use details that fit the requirements of that field. Mention that time you were a financial analyst or the marketing position you held. Several people own degrees in two or more completely different fields and necessary experiences for them as well. Do not just list all the experiences you have in these fields, as they will cause a clash of interests.
Provide necessary details in the education section
The education section is also an important part of your resume. The recruiters need to know where you obtained your knowledge and how far along the ladder you have climbed. Details of the grade school you attended are not needed in the resume. You need to provide information about the universities and colleges you attended, for how long, and what you specialized in. the other optional information you can provide in this section is the GPA you got, what honors, and your academic achievements while in school.
Conclusion
A lot of effort goes into creating the perfect resume so that you can get that perfect job. The job market is very competitive, and you need to do your best to stand out and get these opportunities. Creating a great resume is one of the things that will make you stand out in the job market. The following tips should help you create a good resume and hopefully land you that job you have been chasing.
