Picture this: You put your resume and cover letter together and are all ready to start your job search. You apply to dozens of jobs (if not more) and then…. Crickets.
Then you start over analyzing each rejection and start asking yourself “Why can’t I just find a job?” or “What is wrong with me?”
We’ve all been there.
You could be the most experienced candidate out there and a perfect fit for the position you are applying to. But if your resume doesn’t show that, the recruiter and hiring manager aren’t going to know.
With over 10+ years of experience as a corporate recruiter, I’ve come to realize a few things that make a resume stand out among the rest:
1. You Must Think of your Resume as a Marketing Tool.
As a resume writer, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard a client tell me they feel weird or bad about “bragging” on their resume.
As a corporate recruiter, I have seen so many resumes that just list someone’s title and job duties but don’t show me why they will be better than the other applicant who just sent me the same thing.
As a job seeker, you need to understand that your resume is a marketing tool used to convince a recruiter/manager to interview you and give you a chance. Nobody else is going to tell them how great you are. This is your one chance to put your best foot forward and prove that you have what they are looking for.
Don’t be shy!
2. Use Professional Information
This happens more than you think – I get an application for a senior level job and their email address is something like ilovemydog@… Or they have information about unrelated hobbies or their personal information like marital status, health, etc.
You want your resume to be professional. Use professional information across the board.
Create a new email address with just your first and last name. Take off your hobbies and personal information. Do not ever put your reason for leaving or salary on your resume.
3. Make sure your skills match the job description
When you are reading a job description and you really like the job, you should look for some key words to match what they are looking for.
If a job description says something like “experience working with a CRM system” and you have that, put it in “CRM Systems” in your resume’s skills section.
Sometimes they are easy to pick out when reading – anything that says they want xx will most likely be a skill to add. Be sure you are adding hard skills and not soft skills.
You can also look at the company’s mission and values and pick out some soft skills to add in other parts of your resume.
This helps the recruiter or manager easily see how you fit and what you can bring to the table.
4. Make sure your achievements are highlighted.
This tip goes along with my first tip. Make sure you take some time to think of the big accomplishments you have had in your most recent position(s). Try to think of something concrete thar can quantify how you helped. This can be saving money, lowering or improving some percentage or number, etc.
When you put them on your resume, do not bury them in long sentences. Clearly list them out in bullets with the achievement towards the front of the sentence.
The recruiter will easily be able to see what your accomplishments are without having to work for it.
Why does having a standout resume matter?
Recruiters and hiring managers can go through hundreds or thousands of resumes and applications for one job. They are scrolling through resume after resume trying to quickly find the one that fits.
They give your resume 6 seconds. If they do not see what they want, they move on.
You want to make sure that you put what they are looking for front and center, so you get the interview.
Are you feeling overwhelmed with the writing process? Reach out for a free resume review today and I can tell you exactly what you need to change to make a big impact.