Companies get hundreds of resumes for every single job opening. Does yours stand out? Good experience and marketable skills aren’t enough. In fact, your resume could be so generic and boring that the HR managers don’t realize how good you are.
Here are some tips on how to present your qualifications in a memorable way, so the people in charge of sorting through the applicants will feel compelled to call you up and schedule you for an interview.
Don’t just list tasks….list acomplishments.
Does your resume just list the place where you worked and your job responsibilities? Ugh, boring! Take it a step further by talking about your accomplishments. For example, if you were a PR manager, you can mention the accounts you helped bring into the company. Or, if you were part of the IT team, talk about the policies or programs you set into place that helped increase the company’s speed or productivity, or lower their costs. And be as concrete as possible! Use numbers, percentages and other undeniable proof
Think in terms of keywords
When you look at online job postings or positions you may notice certain keywords associated with your position or your industry. Weave those words into your resume. This can help push it on top of the pile if the company uses a tracking system.
This tip can also clue you in on how to develop your career. Maybe the reason you’re not being hired is that your skill set/experience doesn’t match the current needs of your industry. Find out what’s ‘hot’ in the market now, and update your skills through classes or projects.
Provide a testimonial
Instead of just listing the contact numbers of people they can call for recommendations, why not get a quote from them and then copy on your resume? Just keep the quotes short. You can also place endorsements on your LinkedIn profile.
Use visuals
Throw in a few design elements, like using bold or italics to draw attention to important words, or even including charts and graphs when applicable.
Add links to social media profiles
Share your Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media profiles. Just make sure that you aren’t sharing or posting any information that could compromise your professional reputation (read our article on things you should never share on Facebook).
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Wow, I never thought of including a testimonial. That’s a pretty cool tip.
These are good tips!
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