It is very important for you to know how your résumé should look, especially if you are seeking a job, an internship, or any opportunity that may come your way. This is why today I will give you seven tips to make your résumé desirable to recruiters or HR managers:
1. Pay attention to format
Colorful paper and flashy gimmicks will not get hiring managers to read your résumé, but good content set up in a presentable format will. A successful résumé is a good combination of strong information presented in a way that is easy to read. Without a good format, the hiring manager would have to scan all over your résumé to find a couple of key facts that would catch their attention, now you might be asking what defines a good format then? The answer is simple, just make it concise and conservative, lead with your best experience and focus on the results and impact.
2. Make the top count
3 seconds to review the top one-third of your résumé so, make it count!
Instead of using your mailing address, an awesome tip is to use your LinkedIn address next to your name and contact info. However, make sure that your LinkedIn account is updated as well. It is important to use an objectives section if it is going to be used for specific situations like, a job fair where there is little time to scan each and every résumé presented to recruiters, as well as for individuals with very little working experience. Unless you have 10+ years of working experience which is impossible to condense into just one page, then you can use a summary statement.
Also, neither summaries nor objectives sections are recommended when submitting a résumé online directly to a company or any hiring platform. Instead of using an objectives section use a summary statement which is basically an elevator pitch for why you are the best person for the job.
3. Promote who you are
Successful résumés don’t just detail your qualifications, they sell you as the ideal package for a specific job. By putting yourself out there through your résumé, you instill excitement by selling your most relevant qualifications for the job. The key is framing it in such a way that even your weaknesses seem like benefits to the company.
4. Emphasize key skills
Catch the hiring manager’s attention with an easy-to-find skill set; mention each skill with a separate bullet while highlighting the ones that will be suitable for the job you are applying for without exaggerating. Remember, they might ask you about your skills in your interview so do not lie about them.
5. Highlight your performance
It is very important that your résumé includes your career highlights because for recruiters, your past performance is the best indicator of what your future performance is likely to be. However this is often the most difficult thing to do because many people don’t know what employers want to know, so they don’t know what information to include in their résumé. Often, many people are unaware of their abilities and, in addition, some are oblivious to the importance of what they have contributed in each of their experiences.
So, to help you highlight those performances and make your résumé truly stand out, you’re going to look at STAR (Situation Task Action Result) Method, how to write about your career accomplishments and examples of achievement statements. If you want to learn more about the STAR method click on the link down below for tips on your job interview.
6. Control your timeline
Your résumé is a selection of your most relevant work history, so omit experiences that are past ten years, unless it is absolutely essential. And as mentioned on Tip #2, if you have 10+ years of working experience, then this is when a summary statement comes in handy.
After following all of these tips, your résume should be ready for your next interview!