Creating a resume that reflects your job experience, personality, and leaves a lasting impression can be tricky, but not impossible. Here are ways on how to make your resume stand out and catch a hiring manager's eye.
Before we jump in, take a peek at our hiring skill guide. It includes examples of leaders, the do's and don'ts, and types of professionals that can benefit from practicing hiring skills.
What is a resume?
A resume is a document (usually a pdf document) that encompasses a person’s education, job experience, professional skills, accomplishments, and background. There are various components to a resume like how long a resume should be, the purpose of a cover letter, and the length of both a cover letter and resume.
A resume is a golden ticket into your dream company. When applying for a job, set yourself apart from the other candidates by tailoring your resume to your skills and accomplishments. When your resume is professional and up to the point, it has a positive impact on the interviewer. It not only conveys what you can do for the company, but it also shows the company how you see yourself. So make sure it's well designed. However, there are many online resume maker tools that will create a professional-looking resume as per your need.
3 ways to make your resume stand out
Recruiters are looking through hundreds and hundreds of resumes, so here are some tips to consider when creating your resume. Standing out during the recruitment process is essential to catching their attention and increasing your chances of landing an interview.
🧵 Tailor your resume to the job requirements
If you have various positions, it’s important to customize your resume to each job application. When you’re incorporating past experiences that fit the requirements for the role. For example, if you’re applying for a design role including past experience as a reporter wouldn’t be the best avenue. Instead, flush out skills that have included design experience, courses, or accomplishments. Even linking to an online portfolio can make your resume stand out.
🧮 Quantify your accomplishments
Quantifying your skills and achievements helps create a clearer image of your work. Hiring managers want to see how you will fit into their organization. Giving tangible examples will set you apart from other candidates that choose to leave out the numbers.
“There's no better way to describe your accomplishments than with cold hard numbers,” says Slack. For instance: “How much product did you sell monthly? How much money did you save your company due to your efforts? What was the size of the budget you managed? How many people did you train or manage?”
✨ Make it visually appealing
Your resume is a chance for you to shine. When making your resume be sure to make it legible, clear, and clean. Sometimes the font, color scheme, or organization can confuse the hiring manager. To further enhance your application, consider adding a personal touch, such as a video introduction. Using a mac screen recorder with audio can help you create a polished and professional video that complements your resume.
- Font: Stick to professional fonts like Georgia, Times New Roman, Calibri, or Helvetica.
- Color: Opt for a color scheme that isn’t too distracting. Use white as a background color, black for text, and a third color can as an accent to highlight specific details on your resume.
- Template: Organize your resume in a way where you have sections for job experiences, accomplishments, education, and skills
