With the current economy, jobs are getting harder and harder to come by. Unfortunately, this is true for everyone, regardless of whether they have a tremendous amount of experience, a college or graduate-level degree, and extraordinary recommendation letters. People just aren’t looking to hire any more. As a result, when a job opening does come available, you can be sure that you will be competing with hundreds of other applicants for the position. Therefore, it’s of utmost importance that your resume stands out. Here are some ways to make sure that happens:
1. Proofread
It may seem silly, particularly when the job you are applying for has little to no written responsibilities, but most Hiring Managers will not consider an applicant who has a grammatically incorrect or misspelled resume, regardless of the applicant’s work experience.
When writing a resume, make sure to read, reread your resume and then pass it along to a friend to do the same. Submitting a resume with errors might be the only thing keeping them from calling you in for an interview.
2. Use a lot of different action words
When describing your various experiences, make sure to use a lot of different action words, particularly ones that match the job description for the position you’re applying for. In this way, you are able to show that you have done a lot of different things, with a focus on the sort of experience that is being sought by the hiring manager.
Strong words to use are: organize, manage, oversee, write, research, monitor, collaborate, etc. The best words, however, are always the ones used in the job description. If they’re looking for someone who is able to multitask and prioritize, make sure to include those words in ways that show you have those skills.
3. List the different software you know
Nowadays, when most jobs require knowledge of computers, you can be sure that Hiring Managers will be looking to see that you are computer savvy. This means including all the different types of computer programs you are proficient in, whether it’s as commonplace as Microsoft Office or as obscure as a specific security incident management software.
4. Shape your resume for each job
Just like making sure to use action words found in a job description throughout your resume, you will likewise want to make sure to use the entries on your resume to your advantage by including the different skills or requirements also recorded in the job description. Most Hiring Managers are very specific about what they are looking for; make sure to portray yourself as the perfect candidate, someone who has all of the necessary requirements.
By implementing this advice, you are certain to make your resume stand out amongst the others. After that, it’s on to the interview.