How to Make your Resume stand out

A Resume is the first thing which the interviewers notice about a candidate, and it has the potential to truly make or break your interview. In this highly competitive and dynamic world, you are up against hundreds of people applying for the same job position. To make sure you make it to the interview round, it is imperative to have a well-presented Resume.

A recruiter receives hundreds of resumes that look and feel the exact same, which is why it is important to understand how to make your credentials for the job stand out among the masses. A RESUME is the first thing the recruiter knows about you, and is a tool which can be used to scrutinize a person even before meeting them. Read on, to know how to boost your RESUME and compel give your recruiter something meaningful to read into.

Things to Include in Your Resume

Personalize Your Resume One of the most important yet the most ignored aspect of creating the perfect resume is to tailor each Resume to the company/role you’re applying for. Aim for a concise and focused Resume that contains only relevant skills and experience, which makes the recruiter see why you are suitable for the job. Make sure that you highlight your skills which will be required in the role you are applying. While mentioning your experience, give particular focus to previous roles that were similar to the one you are targeting. Employers want candidates to understand the role they are applying for, and the more you can demonstrate this, the more your Resume will stand out. It is a lengthy process, we know. But trust us on this, the results would surely be worth it all!

Highlight Your Growth Journey You should focus on your personal development, and you have learnt relevant skills from previous roles and responsibilities. Show how you have grown and changed in your roles, and the accomplishments you have achieved. This will show the recruiter that you have learnt from your past positions, and that you are someone who is open to learning new things and skills.

A Catchy Profile Always start with a summary of your skills and key accomplishments. This will attract the recruiter and grab their attention from the rest of the Resume. This personal profile is an important detail which many overlook. It conveys to the recruiter exactly who you are, so you really want to make the right impression. Make sure you kick things off with something memorable and quick that gives them a clear idea about you.

Avoid Cliché Words Words like “passionate” and “hardworking” don’t convey much about you as a person, or what you career goals are. Recruiters want their team members to learn and grow – so seeing a clear definition of a candidate’s ambitions not only helps us see whether a job is a right fit for them, but also gives an idea of how they could progress within the company. Try to avoid the obvious, just for the sake of some fancy words. Keep it simple, but effective.

Back Your Credentials with Examples Anyone can make up empty claims on their Resume with no real evidence. Hence it is important to back up the roles, experience and tasks you mention in your Resume, as a proof of the same. When you’re writing about relevant skills, qualities and experience, also include short examples to bring your Resume to life. Instead of just listing your past responsibilities emphasize your results, using quantifiable data to show your accomplishments.

Include Extracurricular Activities Recruiters always look at extra-curricular activities, as a work/life balance is very important. The sports you play, any achievements, challenges, other qualifications, all of these factors immediately make you much more interesting as a candidate. People often forget that hobbies can translate into valuable experience. Clearly displaying your hobbies and what you have learned from them can be particularly helpful if you are struggling to demonstrate relevant work experience or qualifications.

Include your LinkedIn Profile or Portfolio In case you are submitting a soft copy of your resume, it is a good idea to include a quick link which can give the recruiter a better idea about you. It can a link which directs them to examples of your previous work, or even a blog. Keeping your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and putting a URL within your resume can also come in handy. If you are applying to a role in the creative field, your portfolio should be visible too so that recruiters can easily see evidence of your work and accomplishments.

Use Power Words Using power words will emphasize your accomplishments and will give your resume an additional oomph. Include words such as adaptable, innovative, implemented etc., and follow up with impressive results or outcomes which demonstrate what you have delivered. Many companies also use database software to filter out candidates out who don’t use certain key words, so make sure you study the job description and know what the recruiter is looking for. Instead of regurgitating your job description, focus on the accomplishments you’ve made while living up to that description. Describe the ways you’ve excelled in your profession and have gone above and beyond. Quantify Your Accomplishments Putting a number on the work you do gives recruiters an idea how you might fit into an organization. If you can quantify any of your job descriptions, make sure you do so. It will give the hiring manager a much clearer image of your skills and abilities, and definitely help you get on the short list for an interview.

Ignore Irrelevant Information Knowing what to leave off your resume is as important as knowing what to include in it. You might think it’s a good idea to include as much information as possible, but isn’t a very good idea. Including irrelevant and accomplishments tells your potential employer that you don’t understand what they’re looking for. Don’t make your target reader juggle through a bunch of noise in order to find what’s really important to them.

Mistakes to Avoid while Preparing a Resume

It's deceptively easy to make mistakes on your resume, some of which can make a drastic impact on the recruiter. Here are some of the most common mistakes people make, and how you can avoid them. If you want your job application to make it past the gatekeepers and into the hiring manager's hands, avoid these cringe-worthy resume-writing mistakes!

Typos and Grammatical Errors This goes without saying: your resume needs to be grammatically perfect. Editing your resume to eliminate spelling and grammatical errors might seem obvious, yet is a factor many candidates ignore. Have someone else read over your resume to check for this sort of error. In addition, try printing your resume out to review or using a free tool like Grammarly to scan your resume for contextual spelling and grammatical mistakes.

Including Outdated or Irrelevant Information If you have information that is outdated or irrelevant on your resume, it might be a very big deal breaker. Anything which isn’t relevant to the job, doesn't belong on your resume.

Visually Challenging If your resume is packed with five different fonts and colors which aren’t soothing, it will give the employer a headache. Show your resume to several other people before sending it out. Do they find it visually attractive? Keep it simple and minimalist. When it comes to your resume format, less is usually more. Stick to a simple, elegant resume design that favors white space and makes it easy for the reader to quickly skim your information. The more elaborate or creative you get with your resume format, the more likely recruiters will be forced to look for the information they care about, and the more likely they are to skip over your application altogether. Incorrect Contact Information You might have a resume which seems incredibly strong, but if your contact details aren’t up to date, there isn’t any way the recruiters can contact you. Double-check even the most minute, taken-for-granted details. The goal of a resume is to land you an interview. If you're missing pertinent contact information, or the contact information you've included is incorrect, you're making it difficult for recruiters to get in touch with you. Also, be careful regarding the location and format you use to list your contact information on your resume, as that plays an important role too.

Not a Right balance Between Paragraphs and Points Using dense blocks of text or too many bullets points in your resume will surely overwhelm a recruiter. Instead, use a mix of short paragraphs to describe your role and bullet points to highlight your relevant qualifications, contributions, and achievements.

Length of the Document The maximum resume length is two pages, but it is advisable to stick to a single page. A very long resume can also prove to be offensive, as the recruiters may believe you do not value their time. Make the resume short and crisp, and contains exactly the right amount of information.

This was a comprehensive list of things you should and should not include in your resume. If you make incorporate all of the aforementioned points, you are bound to create a dazzling first impression, and it would be much easier to make it to the interview round. Keep in mind these common yet important points while structuring your resume, and you will notice a difference right away!