Stand out with a dynamic resume!
Let’s face it. With many companies turning to career websites and online job platforms, your resume might be your only chance to impress a recruiter. That’s why it’s so important to draft a strong, eye-catching resume. You want it to intrigue, influence, and inspire a callback. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when drafting your resume.
Understand the algorithms
Many resumes aren’t even viewed by a recruiter first! Companies use electronic resume review systems of varying degrees of complexity. Some merely scan the resume to help candidates fill up the required fields in the applicant tracking system, while others analyze the resume and look for keywords to identify if the candidate meets the company’s criteria. If your resume doesn’t have any, it won’t make the cut for further review.
Tip! Use the right terminology in your resume. You can check the job listing for skills and other requirements that the company is looking for, and make sure that those keywords are present in your resume.
Keep it short and sweet
Once you make it past the automated systems, you’re still in a race against time. The average recruiter typically has hundreds of resumes to go through and will mostly glance at the content of the resume rather than diving deep into each one. This means that your resume needs to be neat, concise, and easy to follow. Use headers like “Work Experience”, “Education”, and “Skills” to divide your different sections.
Tip! The general rule of thumb is to limit your resume to one page per 10 years of experience.
Make your resume easy to read
Formatting is everything in a resume. Avoid making a document that’s a gigantic wall of text. Instead, break it into sections with things like headers and bullet points.
Tip! Formatting your resume doesn’t mean you need to use an elaborate template. Prioritize formats that maximize your 1-to-2-page resume while keeping things easy to read.
An exception to the rule? Creative industries and roles!
For creative industries or roles that work in design, adding more personality to your resume template can help you stand out. For example, if you’re applying for a job in the gaming industry, you might display your skill level or achievements like video game stats.
Tip! Adding fun colors or iconography can help attract attention, but you should make sure to design your template purposefully. The most important information should still be present and very visible.
Highlight your most impressive accomplishments
Remember: Many employers are only glancing at your resume. They may not read every single bullet point on your list of skills and achievements. To counteract this, you’ll want to draw attention to your most marketable traits. Arrange your work experience in reverse chronological order, so your most recent experience appears at the top. When writing your bullet points, be mindful of the order and list the most relevant bullet points first.
Tip! Use powerful action words at the start of each bullet point and try to provide data and additional details to describe what you did. For example, rather than saying “Worked on Sales projects for Area A”, you can say “Increased sales in Area A by X% by initiating a consumer acquisition project for Product ABC.”
Impress hiring managers with your resume
The job market is always changing, so it’s important to stay up-to-date with the different tips and tricks to stay ahead of the curve.
Are you ready for your next big career move? Check out opportunities at Western Union through our Careers page.
