How Should I Write My Resume to Stand Out to Recruiters?

How Should I Write My Resume to Stand Out to Recruiters?

How Should I Write My Resume to Stand Out to Recruiters?

You simply have a few seconds to pique the recruiters' interest with your resume. So how do you create a CV that accomplishes this task for you?

What should be in your CV, and what errors should you watch out for when writing it? Here are the top five suggestions to make your resume stand out to hiring managers.

Feature an engaging summary

A boring statement at the top of your resume is a sin. It is obvious that getting the job is your goal. Therefore, it is not necessary to state that at the beginning of your resume. Use this area to provide a compelling career summary that highlights your abilities, expertise and strengths.

The purpose of the career summary is to provide the reader with a brief overview of your qualifications for the job you are applying for. Without having to read the remainder of your CV, the recruiter must be impressed by the summary in order to want to interview you.

You can use the following questions as a template to create a compelling career summary:

1. How much professional experience do you bring with you?
2. What specific knowledge of the industry do you have and what relevant skills do you have?
3. What are your top qualities you can highlight for your employer?

Display your achievements

A perfect resume showcases details to the recruiter that are more than your previous job experiences. Rather than providing that long list of your previous job roles, focus on showcasing your achievements across these roles and the impact it has created. Show how you have made a difference to the roles you have handled across your career. These below questions will be a guideline to highlight your accomplishments on your CV:

1. What are the things that set you apart from other applicants?
2. What are the initiatives that you have driven that has added value to the organizations you’ve been part of?
3. Why were you recognized for the initiatives that you drove?

Incorporate the right set of keywords:

Keywords are the vital component of your resume that gets you through the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), it also grabs the attention of the recruiters. Inserting the right set of keywords into your resume makes it easy for the recruiters to pick your resume from their resume database storage systems. It also makes the job of recruiters easy, to connect the contents of your resume to the requisites of the position that your resume is being screened for.

These keywords can also be used under the key strengths section on your resume. The rest of the keywords can be spread across the resume, you could consider using it in the accomplishments section or bring it into your job responsibilities. The best way to go about it is to spend those extra minutes in customizing your resume before you submit the application.

Make yourself standout:

Other than potraying your achievements and work experience, it is necessary to show what sets you apart from the others. This is where you need to come up with creative ways to showcase your value proposition to the recruiters. You will definitely have a better chance of getting selected if you are able to convince the employer that you are different from the other applicants. Look at the following ways to differentiate yourself through your resume:

1. How is your experience different from the other applicants?
2. What is unique about you, focus on traits such as leadership, or working style, etc.
3. What are the additional skills and expertise that you bring to the table?

Showcase your personality:

This can often set you out from the other applicants. You can bring in a couple of recommendation from your bosses or colleagues in your CV. You can also try showcasing your volunteering experience or try mentioning your extracurricular activities. Look at the role you are applying into and sync these activities with the role.

Using the above guidelines to draft your resume will make the process easier and ensure that important elements of your resume are in place. However, if you are stranded not knowing how to go about the whole process or unsure about what is important and what isn’t, which is a common observation among professionals who carry over a decade of work experience, do drop us a line or get in touch with us. We will be glad to spin out that perfect resume as we have to a million other professionals. You can reach us at info@visualcvs.com or give us a call at 7010630927