How to make your resume/CV stand out?
#resume #job-application #resume-writing
21 answers
James Constantine Frangos
James Constantine’s Answer
How to Make Your Resume/CV Stand Out
Creating a standout resume or CV is crucial in today’s competitive job market. Here are some tips to help you make your resume stand out:
1. Tailor Your Resume to the Job Description: Customize your resume for each job application by highlighting the skills and experiences that are most relevant to the specific position you are applying for. This shows the employer that you have taken the time to understand their needs and that you are a good fit for the role.
2. Use a Clean and Professional Format: Make sure your resume is well-organized, easy to read, and visually appealing. Use a clean and professional font, appropriate spacing, and bullet points to highlight key information. Avoid using overly elaborate designs or fonts that may distract from the content.
3. Highlight Your Achievements: Instead of just listing your job duties, focus on showcasing your accomplishments and contributions in each role. Quantify your achievements with numbers or percentages whenever possible to provide concrete evidence of your success.
4. Include Keywords: Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to scan resumes for specific keywords related to the job opening. To increase your chances of getting noticed, incorporate relevant keywords from the job description into your resume.
5. Keep It Concise: While it’s important to provide detailed information about your skills and experiences, it’s also crucial to keep your resume concise and focused. Aim for a one-page resume if you have less than ten years of experience, and a maximum of two pages for more experienced professionals.
6. Proofread Carefully: Spelling and grammatical errors can make a negative impression on potential employers. Before submitting your resume, proofread it carefully or ask someone else to review it for you to ensure there are no mistakes.
7. Include a Strong Summary or Objective: A well-crafted summary or objective at the beginning of your resume can grab the employer’s attention and provide a quick overview of your qualifications and career goals.
By following these tips, you can create a resume that stands out from the competition and increases your chances of landing an interview.
Top 3 Authoritative Sources Used:
Harvard Business Review: Provides insights on career development strategies, including tips on resume writing and job application techniques.
The Muse: Offers expert advice on various aspects of job searching, including resume writing tips and best practices.
Indeed Career Guide: Provides comprehensive resources on job search strategies, including guidance on creating effective resumes that stand out to employers.
GOD BLESS!
James.
ABHISHEK’s Answer
Be encouraging , speak from experiences and cite sources
Yolonda’s Answer
Mark’s Answer
Swaroop’s Answer
Hi Madisyn,
A good resume has all the good/best stuff about what you've accomplished. What will make your resume stand out is what information you put in it about you. Your experience, internships, projects, skills, strengths that are needed for the job you're applying. Bonus points if you're creative and your resume is unique.
All the best!
Here are a few sample resumes that stood out for me:
http://www.rleonardi.com/interactive-resume/
https://norareca.wordpress.com/2016/12/27/infographic-resume/
Katie’s Answer
Milton’s Answer
Stephen’s Answer
There's a lot of great answers here already, but I thought I'd add my input.
I would suggest making sure that the resume/CV that you are submitting for a particular role reflects the role you are applying for.
For example, if the role calls for proficiency in Excel, highlight the times that you've use Excel in previous roles, and list your expertise with it.
Recruiters really want to see how your CV/resume will plug into the role that you are applying for, and making that job as easy as possible for them will definitely help you get noticed!
Hope that helps Madisyn!
Olivia’s Answer
Also make sure you consider ways that your skills are transferrable. If you're applying for a job that you might not have done before, how can you make skills you learned on other jobs applicable to the job you're applying for? It's always good to create and tailor cover letters with your resume to help tell your story. Good luck!
Alexis’s Answer
Katie’s Answer
Hi Madisyn - When creating your resume, be sure to focus on your key accomplishments, rather than just stating your job responsibilities in a position. Think about your successes, and be sure to highlight them. How did you help to improve a process? How did you contribute to the team? Give those questions some thought, and be sure it comes across in your resume.
I 100% agree with Katie.
Highlighting your actual personal accomplishments/contributions is a great way to get noticed rather than focusing on routine cv components like responsibilities. It shows your resourcefulness and ability to think outside the box for solutions. I have seen so many cvs that say "solution oriented" but when there is no evidence to support this claim, the statement falls on deaf ears.
Having a well laid out cv is also helpful. There are great templates you can purchase for about $10 on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/ca/market/resume_template
But remember, less is more when it comes to cv design. Please keep that in mind!
Sofia Flores
Lara’s Answer
The problem that is present on many resumes today is that they are generic and outdated, which It’s crucial to target your resume specifically for each job submission and ensure that you are highlighting the key qualifications that the hiring manager will be searching for. Additionally, many organizations use the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to initially scan resumes before they view them personally.
Therefore, it is important for job seekers to get past this technology. Otherwise, chances are your resume will never get seen by a recruiter or hiring manager. It’s critical to target your resume specifically for each job and to know interview strategies to demonstrate the key qualifications that the hiring manager will be searching for in the recruitment process.
A professional resume should be:
- Clear, concise, and keyword optimized
- It should have an education, work experience, and skills section. You can also include a professional summary or a volunteering section, if you'd like to highlight your volunteering experience.
- Strategically formatted to ensure direct alignment with your key selling points and the job requirements/ targeted positions
- 1 page total (unless you have 15+ years of work experience)
I hope this will help!!
All the best,
Lara
Mili’s Answer
Hey Madisyn!
I found that a resume that stands out not only has good content, but also great design. Even if you have great experience, but have a lackluster layout or design, I find that they can get lost in the folds. Having an eyecatching but also content heavy 1-pager (rule of thumb, 5 years of experience for 1 page) are the best resume's I've come across. Check out online resume layouts, or even look up some good designs off of Pinterest and design your own that reflects who you are.
If Elon Musk can have a 1 page resume, so can you :)
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/elon-musk-one-page-resume
Blake’s Answer
John’s Answer
Highlight the experience and skills you have that are relevant to the role you are allying for. Make them call out to the recruiter "Yes, this is the candidate I need". Use the job description to figure out what's relevant, and go into specifics as to what you have accomplished in these areas.
Charlotte’s Answer
The advice everyone else gave about being concise, highlighting your contributions or accomplishments, is very important.
I would also encourage you to have at least two other people review your resume for any typing or grammatical errors.
I find it easiest to read a resume that groups the information in an easy and concise way. For example, having your work and volunteering experience under one heading, your certifications or education grouped under one heading, and your skills/software/tools/systems you know how to use grouped together under one heading.
I'd recommend creating a formal email account (if you don't already have one) that is a professional alias to use for job applications. Example: MadisynM2003@gmail looks better than kittycatluvr@gmail
Good luck!
Charlotte
Fiona’s Answer
Richard’s Answer
They should be 1-2(max) page. Any more than that and the employer will stop reading (I do). Always highlight your key achievements.
They should also reflect you! Be yourself, inject some of your personality into it
Sofia’s Answer
Highlighting your personal accomplishments and contributions are great ways to make your cv standout. I see a lot of people stating that they are "solution oriented thinkers" but when they provide no evidence to support this claim, it falls on deaf ears.
Having a nice layout for a cv also really helps. You can purchase very well designed cvs on etsy for about $10 https://www.etsy.com/ca/market/resume_template
Do not forget however that less is more and stick to a simple clean design.
Simeon’s Answer
Alexandra’s Answer
You can personalize it depending on the industry you are applying, like using visuals, keep it simple, max 1 page. Make sure you add also your LinkedIn profile link.
Here are some examples, you can build your CV on-line: