- There are 6 easy ways to make your resume irresistible to employers. Find out how to get results fast and make sure recruiters read your resume.
An irresistible resume is every job seeker’s goal and to achieve that, there are 6 vital tips that you need to know.
When you’re preparing to apply for a job, you’ve probably heard plenty of ways to tweak and optimize your resume. However, it isn’t always easy to know where to start and what to prioritize.
Let’s look over these 6 essential pointers in more detail.
Start with a Strong and Stylish Template
The best place to start with your resume is by choosing a template that works for your level of experience. There are a few things to consider in doing this.
Firstly, you should select a format that best captures your achievements. There are 3 of these to choose from:
- Reverse chronological: The best overall choice for experienced job seekers.
- Functional: Better for inexperienced candidates.
- Combination: A blend of the other two.
You’ll see a lot of different template designs being used around the job market. However, the ones that work best always incorporate the following features:
- Clean and clear organization
- An easy-to-read typeface
- Easily identifiable sections
- A little color to make things eye-catching
The fastest way to get your resume up to standard is by using a resume template available online. This will help guide you through the process to create an organized and effective resume that’s proven to succeed.
Use Your Resume Summary to Your Advantage
It’s estimated that recruiters will only spend 7 and a half seconds reading your resume. Therefore, you have to capture their attention right away.
The best way to do that is with your resume summary. This short blurb at the top of the page is only 2-3 sentences long. However, it’s your best chance to hook the reader from the go.
At this stage, the job advert or any extra information you have about the position is crucial. By getting good and familiar with the profile that the employer is looking for gives you an ideal opportunity to show that you’re the right person for the job.
Think carefully about what you can use from your experience to seize the advantage. Did you save your company over $10,000 thanks to your strategy? Or did you maybe onboard 6 new team members over the last year?
Look carefully at what the company wants to see and pick out suitable talents to pique their interest from the moment the hiring manager sees your resume.
Remember, Each Employer is Different
As we’ve already seen, there’s no one-size-fits-all resume. Therefore, your resume is going to need modifications for each job you target.
This doesn’t mean you have to completely start from scratch each time. However, it does mean going over the template with a critical eye to evaluate what experience and skills from your career will sell you best.
This might mean prioritizing your ability to organize for a job where you’ll manage other people. Or maybe you’ll need to promote the fact you know how to code C++ programs. It’ll always depend on the position in question.
Additionally, this could also mean cutting irrelevant information. Your resume only needs to include the details that will help you get hired. Anything else can easily be discarded.
Stick to 1-2 Pages Tops!
The length of your resume counts a lot. The longer it takes to read, the worse it’s going to perform.
Research estimates that resumes over 600 words long perform 43% less effectively. Therefore, it’s important to be concise.
It’s recommended to stick to a single page where you can. Although, it’s also acceptable to extend to a 2nd page if the situation necessitates it.
In the end, resumes are read quickly and not always in full. Therefore, the more you’ve given the recruiter to read, the more likely they are to miss crucial information about you as a candidate.
Watch Out for ATS
A newer issue you’ll encounter are Applicant Tracking Systems (or ATS for short). These are a type of filtering software, designed to manage the volumes of resumes that employers receive.
In especially oversubscribed positions, ATS can be especially brutal on candidate applications. These systems are now used by over 98% of Fortune 500 companies, so it’s important to be ready for them.
Luckily, there are only a few things to make sure you don’t get the cut because of ATS:
- Use a machine-readable file type such as .TXT or .PDF
- Use ATS-friendly fonts such as Times New Roman and Arial
- Include enough relevant keywords to your job and sector
Don’t Forget to Check for Errors
Last but not least, don’t forget to proofread your entire file before you hit send. This could in fact be the most important 5 minutes you spend during your job search.
Small errors may seem inconsequential, but these can torpedo your chances of getting hired. If a recruiter or ATS detects these mistakes, you’ll be out.
These 6 points may seem simple, but they are overlooked by the majority of applicants at some level. Now you know the best ways to succeed in perfecting your resume, can take advantage of what recruiters react to, to get in contention for the best jobs out there.
