5 Great Ways to Boost Your Resume
Perfecting your resume is always a tough and ongoing task when trying to land that perfect job, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a stressful activity. It’s important to remember that every job you apply for will be different and, therefore, may need a different level of customisation and approach. Mastering one resume, however, is at least a great place to start when actively job searching.
Here are our 5 best tips on how to boost your resume that you should keep in mind in order to stand out from other candidates.
Make a first impression (readability, title, bullet points)
When crafting your perfect resume, it’s important to ensure it is going to stand out amongst the competition. Employers glance at hundreds of resumes a day and actually read through a fraction of those, so catching their attention is something to keep at the forefront of your mind.
The actual visual layout of your resume can entice an employer to look more into it. The way sections are broken off, how the information fits on the page, font types, logos or personal branding (if you have one), and more are all different aspects to think about.
Improving readability is the end goal. This will allow the employer to be able to read your resume and understand the order and details as simply as possible. A great practice is to use bullet points to list details about a particular position or to list skills, etc. Bullet points are a great organisational tool and are quite easy to follow.
Including your title in your resume is also key for catching someone’s attention at the initial stage. If it’s accompanied near the top of your resume with your name, logo, and contact information, it will make you come off as a professional and insightful candidate.
Highlight accomplishments
Though it may seem like the most obvious part of building a strong resume, it’s important to highlight the past accomplishments that will help you further your career in the positions you’re applying for.
Although you don’t need to get too far in depth about what those accomplishments particularly mean (this can be explained in the cover letter), this is a legitimate time to sell yourself and express why you may stand out over another candidate.
If you’re out of ideas, try expanding your horizons. Add certifications that bring value to the position, volunteer experiences or fundraising leadership roles (if you have no professional experience, these are great ways to stand out), and professional events or conferences you’ve attended. These are all very attractive details to add if you’re lacking content when stuffing your resume.
Know your audience
Each employer, each position and each company are going to be different, so keep that in mind when figuring out the aim and scope of your resume. A good idea is to alter your resume based on the position you’re applying for and include details and skills that will you help in that particular role.
These don’t have to be drastic changes but may include different phrases that match a job description or an emphasis on one particular past job that could help with your future endeavour. Building your resume is an art, so being creative when selling yourself and showcasing your talent will better your luck against the next person.
Using language the employer will understand is important so they won’t be confused when reading your resume. While it may seem smart and clever to use fancy jargon that has to do with your industry, be sure to maintain simple language so the reader can understand (then use your fancy vocabulary in the interview!).
Proofread
A great idea before submitting a resume to an employer is to have someone else glance at it and give honest feedback about how to tweak it. Maybe even give it to a few people because different people will notice different things. This will be a great mix up from your own proofreading where you can often overlook minute details.
Be sure to use grammar and spelling tools too, like Grammarly, to ensure your sentences are tight-knit and your prose is perfect. These kinds of tools are as simple as downloading the apps and turning them on, but they can save your life!
Finally, the last tip is to eliminate “fluff” on your resume, or things that may not need to be there. Be very selective of what to include and what not, as you don’t want to clutter the good content with things that don’t make sense or aren’t relevant.
Length
Short and sweet is a good motto to live by, and that goes with just about every aspect of your resume. Whether it literally be short (1-1.5 pages are recommended) or keeping your sentences brief and punchy, you want a resume that an employer can scan over quickly and understand the details it encompasses.
Getting your resume right is only the first step to win your dream job. Having a team of reliable career consultants at NotedCareers can guide you through the job search and application process to achieve your goals. For the last 15 years, our team of experienced consultants has assisted thousands of professionals in their career venture, so get in touch with us today to strategise your career!
