When applying for their next job, you should check out these simple tips before sending off an application. It’s important to highlight the best parts of your work experience, schooling history, and professional skills when you apply for a new position. Here are tips for an outstanding resume that will get you hired on your next application.
Customize Your Resume
One of the more obvious tips for writing a resume is to make sure it’s tailored specifically to the job you’re applying for. Make sure your resume clearly outlines how you are more capable than other candidates. Don’t write about experiences that aren’t relevant to this specific job or company culture. You can even ask someone who works at the company to take a look at your resume and suggest any changes they think you should make.
Customized resumes will greatly increase your chances of getting an interview, as this demonstrates that you’ve done your research on the position and organization. Demonstrating that you have a clear understanding of the company’s needs is vital if you want to come off as a good fit.
Build Up Your Skills Section
While you might be tempted to write about your extensive experience or skill sets in the work history section, this could actually backfire. Employers want to see how you’ve transferred skills from past jobs into new ones. But make sure it’s easy for them to follow – if there are too many details, they’ll get bogged down and miss important information.
You should also make sure that your skills section is in a different font from the rest of the resume to make it stand out even more. This will draw their attention to an area that you’ve already highlighted as being vital for this particular position. Fortunately, professional resume writers cost some money but can help make your resume better.
Understand the Company’s Needs
The best resumes are the ones that demonstrate your understanding of what this specific company needs. It should be clear to an employer that you know precisely why they should hire you. If there is anything in your work history or education that doesn’t quite fit, it’s ok to leave it out. There is no need to embellish any of your experiences or credentials.
The resume is not the place to try and impress someone, it’s about being honest. The last thing you want is for an employer to discover that you are misrepresenting yourself, which can tarnish your reputation before even getting a chance to show them what you’re made of.
For example, if a company values creativity and you have no experience with this, leave it out. Employers can tell when you’re being disingenuous, so only include what truly sets you apart from the competition.
Target Your Resume to a Specific Job or Company
The more specific your resume is, the better. It should not just be sent out to every company you apply for; this will make it less likely that it will get noticed. Instead, choose a handful of companies and customize your resume accordingly.
For example, if an employer has mentioned in their job advertisement that they’re looking for someone with more experience than what you have, leave that part out of your resume and focus on your other strengths.
Keep Your Resume Short and Sweet
Include just the basics, yet make sure it looks professional and is easy to read. If you have a lot of skills or experience, don’t be tempted to include everything under one resume. Instead, list the areas in which you have experience and/or qualifications first, then mention other interests or hobbies that demonstrate your personality at the end.
This way you will keep your application quick and easy to read, without boring the employer with unnecessary information or overwhelming them with too much detail. Remember that employers are just as busy as you are, so don’t waste their time with information that isn’t relevant to the position.
Professional Experience or Work History
You should start this section by detailing your current job and the contact information for the company you currently work for. Do not hide behind a vague professional title such as “manager” or “consultant”. If your role is more specific than that, then list it. For example: “Project Manager at Acme Corp”.
If you can’t find this information online, call the company or check with your HR department.
Education/Training
This section is about what you have studied in the past, not where or how long it took for you to complete each course. List the school name first followed by the degree or diploma received along with its corresponding date. You might have studied some courses that are more relevant to the job at hand than others, so don’t be afraid to say that you took courses related to your skills or that you hold several degrees – just explain why they are relevant if it is not obvious.
For example, if you studied marketing and sales while pursuing another degree at the same time, mention this because it demonstrates that you were able to successfully juggle school and work.
Optional sections: Awards and Honors, References, Special Abilities/Other Skills
This final section is where you can discuss any special skills or abilities that might not be listed under your professional experience. Maybe you speak two foreign languages fluently or maybe you have a black belt in karate.
This section is optional so don’t feel obliged to complete it especially if you have several awards or honors to boast about.
Employers won’t spend much time looking at your resume; they will probably only scan it for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, so keep that in mind as well when deciding what to include and what not to include. If you create a well-organized, simple, concise resume that is easy to read, you’ll increase your chances of getting the job.
