The US unemployment rate is currently around 3.6%. That seems like a small number, but that equates to over five million people competing for jobs. With such steep competition, it’s no wonder that only an average of 30% of applicants receive interviews for a position.
How do you make sure you’re one of the lucky 30%?
If you want to end your job search, you need a resume that stands out from the crowd. Perfect your resume by using these writing tips!
1. Keep It Short
On average, a hiring manager will look at a single resume for six to seven seconds. So keep your resume short of making sure they notice your skills and accomplishments. Then, you can expand on your qualities in either a CV or a cover letter.
One page should be your hard limit, but don’t decrease the font. It still needs to be readable! Shorten your resume by including only relevant and recent experience and summarizing most of it in bullet points.
2. Use Keywords
In large companies, an AI runs the first round of resume consideration. Then, it scans for a certain number of relevant keywords and discards the rest. So make sure you stand out by picking out the keywords from job descriptions and including them throughout your resume.
The best place to look for your keywords is the “requirements” or “qualifications” sections of the job description. You can copy-paste the job description into a word cloud generator to determine the most-used words.
3. Avoid Headshots
Many HR departments have rules against considering resumes with headshots. This is so the company can avoid bias or discrimination when they decide. However, if you include a headshot, there’s a good chance your resume will never make it to the hiring manager’s desk.
Instead, display your headshot on your professional social media—and be sure to include those in your resume.
4. Use Metrics
Many people may have the same skills as you; you can stand out by reinforcing them with solid numbers! This will quantify your success and show hiring managers that you can get your new job done.
Be as specific as possible—how many tasks did you complete in a day, or how many sales did you make? Other great metrics sources include percentages—how much were you responsible for? What kind of successes did you bring to your previous company?
5. Formatting Tips
Now that you know how to optimize your content make sure it looks great on the page. Use these formatting tips:
- Use professional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial
- Use hierarchy – the more important it is, the higher it goes
- Divide sections with headers
- Keep margins between one and two inches
You make formatting simpler by using a free online resume builder.
Use These Resume Writing Tips Today
With a little extra care, you can perfect the most important part of your application. Stand out from the competition—use these resume writing tips today to help you find a job in no time!
There are more tips and tricks to learn to help you with your next job interview! If you learned something from this article, check out the Business page of this site to find more like it.
