When someone puts an advert out for a job, they will have several applications and resumes to go through each day. And if there is something that they don’t like, no matter how small, it can go straight onto the ‘no’ pile pretty quickly. When they have plenty of resumes to look through, they can do this easily without a problem. So your resume needs to be on-point and to stand out above the rest in order for your application to progress, and hopefully lead to an interview.
Error-Free
This does sound like an obvious one, but you might be surprised at just how many resumes have a small spelling or grammatical error. While it isn’t the end of the world, recruiters can afford to be quite picky in this employment market. So check yours for errors. But don’t just use your own eyes as it can be easy to miss things when you’ve seen something a lot. Get plenty of friends and family members to proofread it for you.
Make it Relevant
When you are applying for a job, there will be some areas of the previous roles that you have done that will be relevant to you. So make sure that the experience is highlighted and relevant on the resume. You should make your resume specific for each application that you make. It will make sense to the recruiter that you’re applying, and make them more likely to keep yours if it shows some relevant experience that is easy for them to spot.
Shout About Your Skills and Qualifications
There will be some set experiences or requirements when it comes to applying for a job. So shout about how you fit the bill! If you have some amazing qualifications, from an online accredited MBA program to a bachelor’s degree, then make sure that your resume shows what you are qualified in. It is about your experience too, so share how your skills and qualifications have helped in different areas of life.
Use Keywords
When you see a job description, make sure that you use similar words in the job description in your resume. When a recruiter looks at the resume, the keywords that they will have set in the ad will stand out to them. It might not be things that you would normally say, but if you can change the sentences around to include the keywords that the recruiter will recognize, then it will make a difference to how your application is viewed, even without them really thinking about it.
Describe Accomplishments
It can be simple to list of the areas of responsibility that you will have had in areas of life or in previous roles. But what can really make a difference is talking about the things that you have done. You might have been in charge of a team of ten people. But what did you accomplish during that time? Significant increase in sales? Reduction in waste? Talk about what you did during your time there.
