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  • 7 Ways to Craft a Stand-Out Resume

    7 Ways to Craft a Stand-Out Resume

    With the job market getting more competitive, it’s important that your resume can perform. Here are 7 sure-fire ways to give you an edge on the competition:

    1. Use Keywords and Key Phrases to tailor your resume for the job. With recruiters receiving a deluge of resumes, more companies are using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATSs) to weed out less desirable candidates and save time. Not too long ago only large companies used ATSs; but today, small and medium-sized companies also use them. When you email your resume or complete an online application, it goes through the ATS that stores your resume on a database. When the recruiter enters keywords for a job opening, the system lists the top search results in the same way as when you do a Google search. So, it’s important to include relevant keywords in your resume to increase your ranking in the ATS.
    2. Include SMART Accomplishments. Instead of just describing responsibilities and accountabilities, include accomplishments that contain as many as the following elements as possible:
    • Specific (clearly explain accomplishment)
    • Measurable (use numbers when possible)
    • Action-oriented (start with verb)
    • Results-oriented (how it helped company or customers)
    • Time-specific (how long accomplishment took)

    For example, compare “Reorganized medical filing system.” with “Reorganized 1000 patient files within 4 months to help doctors find information more quickly”. Using SMART accomplishments shows the employer you understand the importance of your job.

    1. List all Relevant Work Experience. If you don’t have a lot of work experience, you can list volunteer work, school projects or community initiatives and explain how you helped the organization or team. Employers are always looking for people who take the initiative to solve problems or meet needs. If you’re applying for a position where you need a portfolio, use school projects as samples or create samples on spec to demonstrate your skills and knowledge.
    2. Avoid clichés. Clichés are boring because they’re overused. Everyone says they’re an “excellent communicator”, “team player” or have “excellent problem-solving skills”. When a recruiter has to look at over 100 resumes, seeing the same old tired words and phrases can put them to sleep. Show don’t tell. For example, instead of saying you have strong problem-solving skills, demonstrate it by explaining how you solved problems during your summer jobs, internships, part-time jobs, initiatives or projects.
    3. Use a clean, professional design. You may have the best qualifications, skills and experience for the job, but if your resume has too many fancy fonts or loud bullets dancing all over the place, recruiters won’t have the patience to wade through the madness. The average recruiter has less than a minute to scan your resume, so you must help them quickly answer the question “Is this candidate suitable?”. A well-designed resume that answers this question will make the recruiter’s job much easier.
    4. Include a cover letter. Unless specified otherwise, always include a cover letter. Try to find out the employer’s name and address the letter to them. If you can’t find out their name, it’s OK to say “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Human Resources”. Ensure your letter follows the AIDA formula. Your letter should have 4 paragraphs, each with its own purpose:
    • A is for Attention: Grab the employer’s attention by asking a question or stating an interesting fact.
    • I is for Interest: Explain how your skills and knowledge match those needed for the job.
    • D is for Desire: Mention what you learned about the company to show the employer you’ve done your research.
    • A is for Action: Ask for an interview by suggesting a meeting to further discuss your qualifications.
    1. Check and recheck. A sloppy resume with typos and grammatical errors sends the wrong message. When you finished your resume, set it aside for a day or two, then check it again to ensure it’s error free. Better yet, ask someone you trust to look it over because with being so close to the document, it’s hard to be objective and catch your own mistakes.

    Job hunting is a lot of work. Some people say it’s a full-time job. If you put in the time to craft a stand-out resume, you’ll put yourself on the road to success.

    Giselle Mazurat received her designation as a Certified Resume Strategist from the Career Professionals of Canada. She also writes technical and business content for government and private companies. 

    References:

    8 Surprising Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out
    http://www.inc.com/peter-economy/8-surprising-ways-to-make-your-resume-stand-out.html

    12 Ways to Make Your Resume Stand Out
    http://www.businessinsider.com/12-ways-to-make-your-resume-stand-out-2014-4

    Create a Cover Letter
    https://www.centennialcollege.ca/mycentennial/students/graduating-students/create-a-cover-letter/

    How to Make Your Resume Stand Out from the Crowd
    https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-make-your-resume-stand-out-from-the-crowd-2063334

    How to Make Your Resume Stand Out When You Don’t Have Job Experience
    http://www.joinkoru.com/resume-checklist-for-recent-grads/

    How to Write a Cover Letter that Works
    http://www.blueskyresumes.com/blog/how-to-write-a-cover-letter-that-works/

    Top 5 Easy Tips For Making Your Resume Stand Out
    https://www.workitdaily.com/top-5-easy-tips-making-resume-stand/

  • The Art of the Resume

    The Art of the Resume

    Introduction

    Click on the job posting. Upload your resume. Hope for the best. That document is your introduction to a potential employer, and so it is no wonder that it induces so much stress for so many. Especially when research indicates that the typical resume is assessed or dismissed in an average of six seconds. How do you even go about making an impression in a tenth of a minute? Think of it as art – your resume is you on paper.

    The Structure

    You want employers to see you as a valuable addition to their team, and you want to display that confidence concisely. Carefully select no more than three or four sections based on your past experience, such as “education,” “work history,” “training,” and “summary.” If you have a plethora of past experiences, carefully analyze and pick out the ones best suited for the job you are applying for. If you are an up-and-comer, confidently speak of the volunteer and educational experience you do have. Small volunteer roles and college courses are stepping stones to the roles that you one day hope to have on your resume.

    Incorporate bullet points to elaborate on positions. Within three to five points, talk about accomplishments using specific numbers and data. For example, a tutor or teacher should include the number of students they work with. Like telling a story, start with basic, fundamental information in your first point, and elaborate by the third to fifth point. If you are applying for a role you have never had before, show how your previous jobs have given you valuable transferrable skills. Studies show that the verbs you have can greatly impact your chances – terms such as “first” or “hard” have a negative effect as they imply inexperience and lack of confidence. Focus instead on your strengths and skills in the present, as opposed to your history or future goals.

    If you find you have littered the page with walls of text, such as my previous paragraph, add more white space. More words do not always equate to more ideas.

    Blank space gives the reader, and your words, room to breathe.

    The Art

    As you craft your resume, it is easy for all of this to feel mechanical. Given how many applications end up in a recruiter’s inbox, the little idiosyncrasies that make you unique can also make you more employable. In my education section, my undergraduate degree is a necessary but nonchalant line of text – it has to be there, but it warrants little attention.

    After university, I took a one-year post-graduate college program entitled “Children’s Media,” which focused on writing and production for children’s television. Those two lines on my resume – one for the program, and another to briefly describe it – have piqued the interest of many recruiters. I have been told by employers for schools, entertainment companies, and more that it was one of the reasons they brought me in for an interview.

    For writing work, my resume includes two cartoon drawings at the top. They depict original characters from stories I have written, as drawn by my talented sister. Employers have also commented on these and spoke of how it got their attention.

    These little unique touches must be true to you and what you are applying for. They must also have substance – flashy text or images for the sake of flashiness will get you nowhere. You should be enticing questions from the interviewer that apply only to you – questions that elaborate on your specific experiences and accomplishments. No matter how limited your experience is, it is yours and yours alone.

    Conclusion

    This should all be accomplished in no more than four sections spanning one or two pages. Take your time crafting your resume, and send it to you friends – preferably the brutally honest ones – for a second opinion. By treating your resume as a work of art, you can see all the one-of-a-kind experiences, skills, and quirks that make you a valuable asset for the position. Thank you for your time.

    Sources:

    Giang, Vivian. “How To Write The Perfect Resume.” Business Insider. http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-write-the-perfect-resume-2012-11

    Shavin, Naomi. “Tips For The Perfect Resume And Cover Letter.” Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/sites/naomishavin/2014/07/16/tips-for-the-perfect-resume-and-cover-letter/#33cb28871638