People often find it difficult to talk about themselves, and capturing your best qualities for a potential employer is no small feat. With a little guidance and direction, you can take the fear out of finding a job. Whether you’re on the hunt for a new opportunity, or just want to freshen up your existing CV, these tips will help your resume stand out from the rest and move you to the top of the pile.
1. Use action-oriented wording.
Save space and make an impact with words that clearly convey what you’ve accomplished and how you’ve completed tasks. Instead of general words like “did” or “made” try more descriptive terms like “demonstrated”, “created”, “organized” or “improved”. Also try to use some wording from the job description to show the employer you understand what they’re looking for and how you’ve delivered on those tasks previously.
2. Quantify accomplishments & responsibilities.
Provide clear examples of your accomplishments and back them up with data. Did you lead a team? How may people were on it? Did you improve sales over the year? By how much? It’s assumed that you have experience doing the tasks the employer is asking for; what they really want to see is how effective you can be in executing them.
3. Format it for scanning.
Employers can spend ten seconds or less reviewing a resume. Ensure yours doesn’t get overlooked by making it easy to scan for key information. Make use of bullet points and avoid burying details in long paragraphs. Think about grouping your qualifications by the types of skills or experience the application calls for and use clear headings to separate sections.
4. Include a career summary.
Further to making your resume easy to scan, include a summary of your career experience so the reviewer doesn’t have to piece it together themselves. And don’t be afraid to edit. Your time as a lifeguard in senior year might have been rewarding, but will it help you land what you’re looking for now? Your skills and experience are what will get you the interview, so make sure those are front and center.
5. Ensure contact information is prominent.
Make it easy for an employer to get in touch with you. In today’s world your physical address is likely less important than your phone number or email address. Add this information directly below your name in the header of the resume so it’s easy to find. Do you have a website that showcases your portfolio or expertise? Don’t be afraid to include that here too.
Once you’ve landed an interview, don’t forget these 5 things to research before an interview.
Changing cities or states for a new job? InTown Suites’ extended stay properties are the ideal accommodation option while you’re on the move or house hunting.
People often find it difficult to talk about themselves, and capturing your best qualities for a potential employer is no small feat. With a little guidance and direction, you can take the fear out of finding a job. Whether you’re on the hunt for a new opportunity, or just want to freshen up your existing CV, these tips will help your resume stand out from the rest and move you to the top of the pile.
1. Use action-oriented wording.
Save space and make an impact with words that clearly convey what you’ve accomplished and how you’ve completed tasks. Instead of general words like “did” or “made” try more descriptive terms like “demonstrated”, “created”, “organized” or “improved”. Also try to use some wording from the job description to show the employer you understand what they’re looking for and how you’ve delivered on those tasks previously.
2. Quantify accomplishments & responsibilities.
Provide clear examples of your accomplishments and back them up with data. Did you lead a team? How may people were on it? Did you improve sales over the year? By how much? It’s assumed that you have experience doing the tasks the employer is asking for; what they really want to see is how effective you can be in executing them.
3. Format it for scanning.
Employers can spend ten seconds or less reviewing a resume. Ensure yours doesn’t get overlooked by making it easy to scan for key information. Make use of bullet points and avoid burying details in long paragraphs. Think about grouping your qualifications by the types of skills or experience the application calls for and use clear headings to separate sections.
4. Include a career summary.
Further to making your resume easy to scan, include a summary of your career experience so the reviewer doesn’t have to piece it together themselves. And don’t be afraid to edit. Your time as a lifeguard in senior year might have been rewarding, but will it help you land what you’re looking for now? Your skills and experience are what will get you the interview, so make sure those are front and center.
5. Ensure contact information is prominent.
Make it easy for an employer to get in touch with you. In today’s world your physical address is likely less important than your phone number or email address. Add this information directly below your name in the header of the resume so it’s easy to find. Do you have a website that showcases your portfolio or expertise? Don’t be afraid to include that here too.
Once you've landed an interview, don't forget these
5 things to research before an interview.
Changing cities or states for a new job? InTown Suites’
extended stay properties are the ideal accommodation option while you’re on the move or house hunting.
