Incorporate keywords into your resume. When putting together your resume, think of keywords or phrases that are closely related to the position you are applying for. If you aren’t sure which keywords to use, take a look at the job description. Including keywords from the job description itself in your resume is one of the best ways to ensure that you get discovered.
Prioritize proofreading. There should be no imperfections in your resume. Any errors with spelling, grammar, or punctuation can give potential employers the wrong impression. Errors like these signal that you aren’t serious about the job or that you don’t care about doing your best. Consider enlisting outside help when proofreading. Having someone else scan through your resume is a great way to catch errors that you may have otherwise overlooked.
Include information about what you have achieved. Employers are always on the lookout for resumes that include major achievements. Remember – you are trying to sell your skills to a company. That means that you need to present yourself in the best possible light. When thinking about your last job, don’t just consider your everyday duties. Instead, focus on what you accomplished. Switching from a list of duties to a list of accomplishments can make a huge difference in how potential employers perceive you and your abilities.
Don’t just write a list of things that you were responsible for. In fact, you should remove that phrase entirely from your resume. No one cares about the particular responsibilities that went along with the job. Rather, you should shift your focus to what you accomplished and what skills you bring to the table. Instead of focusing on your day-to-day duties, focus on real results that you achieved in your last position.
Only include necessary information. Excess clutter like fancy fonts or images don’t improve your chances of getting hired. Instead, all they do is take up space on your resume that could be used for better things. Eliminate all of these items, including a brief, highly-focused overview of your accomplishments in their place.
Don’t go back too far when putting together your resume. At most, I usually recommend going back no further than 20 years. While the jobs that you had in the 1990s probably helped you climb to your current position, it doesn’t really apply to the job you are seeking today. You don’t need to list every job you have had since you started working. Instead, only include recent jobs that involve skills that directly relate to the position you are trying to get.
Don’t include an objective statement. While this was once a common practice, it is generally frowned upon today. A better option is to include a personal summary. Most experts advise you exclude irrelevant information by going this route instead of including an outdated objective statement.
Understand who you are targeting. Searching for a job isn’t really about you. Instead, it is about the needs of the company. To improve your chances of getting hired, you need to think about what the company and the hiring manager is looking for. Once you identify your audience, you should gear your resume toward their needs rather than centering it around your needs. Think of any problems the business may be facing or any issues they need to address. Then, demonstrate why you are the right candidate to help them with those problems.
The importance of keywords can’t be overstated. Write down any phrases that appear frequently in the job description. Do your best to include these phrases in your resume.
Depending on where you look, you probably will find a lot of different opinions on how best to put together a resume. One thing that is pretty much accepted across the board, however, is that you should customize your resume specifically for each job that you apply for. That way, instead of sending out a generic resume, you can focus on the needs of the specific business where the job opening is available. By customizing your resume, it shows that you understand the needs of the business. It also gives you a chance to highlight how your skills and experience make you the perfect candidate for the role.