While a job interview is what will often land you a position, it is your resume that gets your foot in the door. It is how you make a good first impression and compel a hiring manager to bring you in for a chat. On the other hand, a poor resume might have the opposite effect.
And with most great positions having several applicants today, you need to work hard to ensure your resume shows you off in the best light possible. Whether you decide to do it yourself or put some trust into some high-quality resume writers like ZapResume, this article is going to go over a couple of different tips for improving your resume in hopes of landing a great job.
Use the Right Keywords
(via: https://pixabay.com/photos/keywords-letters-scrabble-word-2041816/)
Today, almost all companies use applicant tracking systems of some kind. These are automated tools that sort, track, categorize and organize all applicants and their resumes. This saves firms a lot of time that in the past would have been spent by manually flipping through resumes.
Most of these tools work by identifying important keywords in the resumes that they scan. If your resume includes the proper keywords, it will be sent forward to be examined manually. However, if these keywords are missing from your resume, it may get stuck in the filter and will never see human eyes.
So when creating your resume, ensure you add the right keywords. The exact keywords to include vary from industry to industry, but if you look bad at the job description or posting, using some of the words written there is generally a good idea.
Keep it Simple
When it comes to how your resume is organized, it is often a better idea to keep it simple. Many people will try to create an abstract and unique resume to stand out. While this might work in the field of art or design, you generally want to keep the design of your resume predictable and easy to follow.
It should have clearly defined sections like your experience, education, and skills while making it easy for someone scanning the resume to find the important information in seconds. In most cases, resumes should also be kept to a page or two, unless it is a very high-level position or organization.
Be as Specific as Possible
However, while the design, flow, and format of your resume should be simple, the content should not. If you simply include a ton of general information about your education, past positions, and skills, it won’t help you stand out, and you will simply be stuck amongst the masses of other resumes.
You need to be as specific as possible and show hiring managers exactly what you did, and exactly what you will be able to help them do. Also, be sure to quantify your achievements. Use numbers when you can to drive your point through or show exacts. Instead of saying “helped the previous firm grow their business”, you could say “helped the previous firm secure 8 new clients that increased their revenue by 35%”.
By keeping these tips in mind, you can take your resume to the next level and improve your chances of landing your dream job.
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