Nothing is more stressful than job hunting. Hundreds of people all applying for the same one position can leave you frustrated and worried. Between getting references to attending interviews, the job search is difficult for everyone but the one thing that sets you apart from everyone else: your resume.
Your resume is a reflection of who you are and your career path – on paper. When an employer looks at your resume, you want them to not only be wowed by your work experience but you want them to understand why you’re applying for this job and why it fits in your career path.
We all want to stand out among all the candidates. We want employers to know that we are eligible for the job and up for any tasks given.
Here’s Four Ways to Stand Out on Your Resume:
Stand out on Your Resume #1: Tailor Your Resume to the job
Before applying for any job, I always make sure that my resume reflects where my career is at currently and how my current skills could be used for the prospective position. For example, if you’re applying for a job that requires you to work with Adobe Photoshop and that is something you are currently doing or have done – I would make sure to highlight that within your skills section and make sure it’s highlighted within one of your past positions.
Stand out on Your Resume #2: Make sure there are no spelling errors
This one seems pretty easy but it happens more often than we think. From a word being spelled wrong to a sentence not being worded correctly, having errors on your resume is an instant turn off for employers. Whenever I make major edits to my resume, I make sure I get an outside source to read it after me to catch anything I might not have caught. After looking at something for a while, our eyes can skip over errors and applying for a job is not the time to realize that!
Stand out on Your Resume #3: Have Your Cover Letter compliment your Resume
Realistically, cover letters are a burden but cover letters also provide additional information that a resume cannot. Resumes tell a story about your career but cover letters tell a story about you and who you are. Through a cover letter, you can convey your passion for your field orhow you want to make a difference through a position. Think of a cover letter as the condiment to a hot dog – why not add something to make it even better?
Stand out on Your Resume #4: Have a clean, organized layout
Unless you’re in the creative field, most employers do not want to see a lot of colors, shapes, or complications on your resume. The craziest resume I’ve seen was on a blue piece of paper with green animated font – for an executive assistant position. Most companies want an organized, clean resume with a couple bullet points to understand your past roles.
At the end of the day, you want your resume to scream that you are qualified and ready to take on a position. Good luck to all my job hunters!
Written by Mia Littlejohn of TheMiaJanel.com