Winning resumes made easy

What’s the first thing standing between you and your dream job? Hint: It’s not the interview—it’s your resume. A great resume is your personal billboard on the job market. But let’s face it—crafting one that stands out is becoming harder and harder. From buzzwords that walk the fine line between impact and cliché, to tools that make formatting a breeze, the modern resume is all about balance. Whether you’re reworking an old draft or starting from scratch, a polished resume can mean the difference between a “thanks, but no thanks” and a “let’s set up an interview!” Ready to make your resume the MVP of your job search??

The overlooked impact of cherry-picking skills for your resume

Your resume is more than just a list of qualifications and achievements—it’s your store-front and marketing tool for showcasing your skills, getting you past the Applicant Tracking System, catching the recruiter or hiring manager’s eye, and landing you an interview … No pressure! Crafting the perfect resume is hard, and if you think yours is boring, the chances are the person reading it will too. So, how do you make your resume interesting? How do you choose what to include if you have a long and varied career? How can you convince a hiring manager that you’re worth an interview (and ultimately the job!) if you don’t have all the skills in the job description? Career coach and resume writer Mark Misiano answers these questions and more with his 10 tips on cherry-picking skills for your resume. And guess what? It’s not all about keywords and the ATS.

1. Focus on hard skills

In Misiano’s opinion, hard skills are usually what gets you in the door, so he recommends focusing on those. Include them in prominent areas on your resume, like a ‘core competencies’ or ‘areas of expertise’ section. Think about how you present them. If you’re a software expert with a huge list of programs, systems, and tools, highlight the ones that are most relevant to the role, or consider alphabetizing a longer list so that it’s easy for the recruiter to spot the one they’re looking for. Make use of white space, bullet points, and color accents to ensure your hard skills are clear and easy to read.

2. Start with job descriptions

When you’re putting together a resume, you should be looking at tailoring it to the sort of roles you want to apply for. Misiano makes the distinction between tailoring and targeting your resume. Tailoring means focusing on the types of roles you are looking at and creating something that would work for ‘quick apply’ job posts. Targeting is when your resume is aimed at a specific role in a specific company—the one you really want.

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