[Resume Tips] How to Make Your Resume Stand Out In 2018 & Beyond

     

[Resume Tips] How to Make Your Resume Stand Out In 2018 & Beyond

September 25, 2018

It may be tempting to do something outrageous to get a hiring manager’s attention. After all, you know dozens of people (sometimes hundreds) apply for each open job. But a recent study conducted by CareerBuilder found only 12 percent of HR managers are more likely to consider a candidate who does something unusual and attention-seeking for an interview. To stand out, you may just need to pay extra close attention to the details of your application. Think of it like this: Your cover letter and resume are your first-touch marketing tools.

Here’s how you can land an interview without buying Google ads with executives’ names or spelling out your resume in Christmas lights (yes, these are real ways people got jobs):

Give them proof!

You can tell a hiring manager anything you want. But, they are going to want evidence of what you were able to accomplish. In fact, according to the CareerBuilder study, 75 percent of HR managers have caught a lie on a resume. This is why your resume should focus on what you were able to achieve in your previous roles (and make sure it’s the truth). Sure, you were a digital marketing manager and you determined where your company should invest in online advertising. But, did you ever get any leads? Quantify your success so prospective employers understand the scope of your contribution. The numbers will prove how much of a difference you made to the bottom line. Did you double leads, decrease the cost per lead by 60 percent and increase closings by 130 percent? Then tell them!

Be mindful of the readers’ needs

The reason the employer is hiring is because they need help. Know how you will be able to help them. You have the proof that you can do it (see above), so tell them (humbly) what you can do for the company. You will want to do your research and hit on their pain points. This is why your cover letter and resume should be different for every application. You want it to sound like you’re talking specifically to them – because you are! The top reason that HR managers pay more attention to an application, according to the CareerBuilder study, is a customized resume. A generic cover letter and resume may allow you to apply to more jobs in a short amount of time, but what’s it worth if you don’t get any calls back?

Don’t forget keywords

OK, so keywords can mean a couple different things. First, you need to include keywords in your resume that automated screeners are going to be programmed to see. If you don’t, your resume may never even make it to a human. So, use words that describe important skills for the job throughout your application materials. Think about the terms a hiring manager or recruiter would search for when looking for a qualified applicant. Start by pulling out what’s mentioned in the job description. Second, while you don’t want your resume to read like a bunch of jargon, including a few industry-specific terms or common abbreviations show the reader that you are comfortable operating in the realm.

Have an eye toward design

Content is the most important part of your cover letter and resume, but a clean design will guide the reader through the content more effectively. The format should be modern and professional. Use bolding to break up the different sections – even simple line art to make those distinctions can be a nice touch. Bullets are ideal to keep lists tidy and easy to read. You should be able to identify contact information (and links to professional social media accounts and online portfolios) quickly. Another important part about formatting is making it easy to read by automated programs. Some talent management programs parse your resume into candidate databases, so make sure you label all areas of your resume and avoid using graphical elements that contain information.

Incorporate storytelling

Remember, your resume is your marketing tool. And just like good marketing has an aspect of storytelling, so should your resume. Make the employer understand how you got where you are. You can do this in a well-crafted “professional summary” paragraph (in lieu of an “objective statement”) and your work history will back it up. Use your cover letter to tell an engaging story as well. (Always include a cover letter unless the recruiter specifically said he doesn’t need one. Need convincing? Thirty-eight percent of CareerBuilder survey respondents say a cover letter with a resume makes them pay more attention to the application.) Keep the cover letter to a page, but that’s not necessary when it comes to the resume. If you need more space to tell your story, take it. Just make sure you use it wisely, that’s all. Every bit of it should contribute to the objective.

Proofread, proofread, proofread

I wrote proofread three times because you should proofread your resume at least three times. I cannot stress it enough – make sure your resume is sparkling clean! While this won’t make you “stand out’ per se, it will ensure you land in the “keep” pile. Trust me, if have one error on your resume, it’s going in the garbage. Recruiters say so. According to the CareerBuilder study, 61 percent of recruiters will automatically discard a resume with typos. Yikes!

 

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