Crafting an Effective Resume: Tips and Tricks
Learn how to build your resume and land your dream job by focusing on what recruiters are looking for.
Photo by João Ferrão on Unsplash
In the job market, a good resume can be the difference between landing that dream job or getting lost in the application shuffle. In this blog post, we'll break down some tips and tricks to help you build a resume that stands out and lands you the job you're after.
Keep It Simple, Keep It Clear
When creating your resume, make sure it is easy to read. Stick to a clean, professional format with consistent font sizes and bullet points, thus this will ensure your important information is very easy to find at first glance.
Pro tip: use traditional fonts like Arial, or Calibri with a decent space between sentences and a normal size of 10-12 points.
Tailor Your Resume To The Job
Build your resume according to the job you want to apply to, highlighting your skills and experience that are relevant to that position. This will show recruiters that you've put thought into your application and are a good fit for the role.
Start with a Strong Summary or Objective
The first thing you want recruiters to lay your eyes on is a brief and impactful summary or objective, aka a strong statement that outlines your career goals and what you bring to the table. This shouldn’t take longer than 2-3 sentences and should highlight your strongest skills and abilities.
Highlight Achievements, Not Just Responsibilities
Instead of listing your job duties, focus on your achievements and contributions in each role. Quantify your accomplishments with numbers or percentages where possible to showcase your impact.
This will show recruiters that you understand the value of each role and responsibility and that you can give good results.
Use The right Words
When describing your experiences, use powerful action verbs to give a sense of accomplishment and initiative. Words like "achieved," "managed," and "implemented" give a stronger impression than passive phrases.
Include Keywords
Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to filter resumes. Ensure your resume makes it through by incorporating relevant keywords from the job description. Don’t go too crazy with this when creating your resume, as you want your document to be easy to read and feel like a human actually wrote it.
Education and Certifications Matter
Don't overlook your education and certifications. List your educational background, including any degrees, certifications, or relevant courses you've completed. Highlighting your educational achievements can boost your credibility.
Provide a Clean and Professional Online Presence
Include a link to your LinkedIn profile, personal website, or portfolio (if applicable). Make sure your online presence aligns with the professional image you're presenting on your resume.
Key Tips For Writing Your Resume
All the information shared above will help you build a great resume, but the following tips will ensure you have even more chances of impression recruiters.
Proofread Multiple Times. Errors on your resume can be a deal-breaker. Triple-check for typos, grammatical mistakes, and formatting issues. Consider asking a friend or mentor to review it as well to catch anything you might have missed.
Keep It Concise. Aim for a resume length of one to two pages. Be concise and focus on the most important information. Recruiters often skim resumes, so make sure your key points stand out.
Update Regularly. Keep your resume up-to-date even when you're not actively job hunting. This way, you're always prepared for new opportunities that may arise.
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