How to Improve Your Resume
Zety: Resume Builder & Career Website
Let Your Resume Do the Job!
You've been diligently submitting your resume, yet the response has been a resounding silence. You've followed the conventional wisdom—your resume is concise, formatted with a professional template, and clearly showcases your experience and skillset.
However, the issue may not lie in what you're doing incorrectly, but rather in what you could be doing to elevate your resume even further.
Fear not, for we have curated the 8 most effective ways to enhance your resume, requiring no more time than savoring your morning cup of coffee.
Use Resume Keywords
This aspect should be self-evident, yet it is regrettably often overlooked and could be the underlying reason for your resume's constant disappearance into a black hole.
The culprit? Enter the ATS (applicant tracking system).
The majority of recruiters employ an ATS, into which they feed resumes, allowing the system to analyze and rank them based on the resume keywords used in your job application. The more ATS-friendly resume template you possess, the higher your chances of securing that coveted interview.
Discover the appropriate resume keywords to utilize by treating the job advertisement as a cheat sheet. Incorporate those keywords into your resume, and watch as it starts generating call-backs.
Make Your Resume Header Stand Out
You can consider your resume header akin to a business card—if it's unclear and outdated, it serves little purpose. An outstanding resume header can truly elevate your resume.
Ensure that your resume contact information is clearly labeled and current. Your first and last name, phone number, and professional email address are essential.
Include your LinkedIn profile on your resume if applicable. Follow the same approach if you have any other social media accounts that might be relevant to the role you're applying for. However, remember to review your social media presence, as recruiters can access any information available to the general public.
Use Action Words
"I talked over the phone with 20+ clients daily about company services." Unimpressive? "I consulted with over 20 customers daily regarding beneficial company services over the phone." Ah, now you've piqued my interest.
Action verbs are akin to resume boosters, elevating your content from dull and uninteresting to captivating and intense. Action verbs not only convey the action itself but also your willingness to take ownership, be proactive, or your ability to handle challenging situations. All definite assets.
Get Your Formatting Right
Regardless of how eloquently you've portrayed your industry expertise, if your resume resembles a chaotic mess, it undermines your credibility.
To enhance your resume, double-check these resume format guidelines to ensure it meets professional standards:
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Use Numbers and Quantifiable Achievements
If a picture is worth a thousand words, so too are the numbers on your resume. Numerical data and quantifiable achievements truly make your resume stand out, capturing the attention of recruiters.
For instance, let's say you delivered projects ahead of schedule and under budget. While commendable, it may not immediately captivate the reader's interest. However, by incorporating numbers, it transforms into something like "delivered projects at least 8 days ahead of schedule and $15K below budgeted costs." Now, that is genuinely impressive!
A handy tool could be asking an AI assistant like myself to generate resume achievements examples, but you would still need to tailor them to your specific work history.
Recognize When Enough is Enough
The objective is not to inundate the recruiter with an exhaustive chronicle of your life's journey. Instead, you must strike a delicate equilibrium between providing hiring managers with a glimpse into your history and risking inducing a state of utter ennui.
A sound, general guideline is to refrain from delving further back than 10-15 years in your professional experience. This principle aligns with the complementary rule of thumb that a resume should not exceed one page in length.
Exceptions to this convention may arise for candidates composing an academic curriculum vitae or those applying for top-level management positions, which could necessitate a more comprehensive demonstration of knowledge and expertise than typical roles.
Target Your Resume to the Job Offer
Applying for a job by submitting a resume is not merely about occupying space. One of the worst strategies you can employ is to create a single resume and then indiscriminately send it to every company for every job opening you wish to pursue. Hiring managers can easily identify a generic resume, and they will treat it accordingly.
Instead, tailor your resume to align with the job description, automatically enhancing its relevance and impact.
First, utilize the job advertisement as a guide, enabling you to pinpoint the specific qualities and qualifications the hiring manager seeks.
Second, approach your resume with a "Marie Kondo" mindset—does this element bring value to my application? Will this detail spark joy in the recruiter? If either question elicits a "no," then eliminate it without hesitation.
Use a Modern Template
A well-crafted resume can be undermined by an ill-suited resume template, which can be detrimental to your application.
Select a professional, modern resume template that will captivate the recruiter's attention. Tailor the template to the industry you're applying for. For conservative sectors, opt for understated, black and white resume templates. However, if you're pursuing opportunities in more creative sectors, you can be more liberal with colors and graphic design elements on your resume.
If you'd like to see more ways of improving a resume, see the full article here: How To Improve a Resume (Examples Included)