Résumé trends may come and go, but some things never change: a clear, well-written description of your skills and experience is still the key ingredient. Add a clean, modern design and some positive storytelling that highlights your achievements and you’re well on your way to landing an interview.
Think of your résumé as a marketing document – and yourself as the product! Here are some simple tips to ensure that your résumé stands out:
Impressions are everything – you have 5 seconds to impress!
Tailor your résumé to the job ad by using the same language and terminology – for example, if the position advertised is for a personal assistant, don’t call yourself an administrative assistant. Ensure that this information, along with other key information the recruiter or hiring manager may be looking for, such as your name and contact details, can be found in the top third of your resume.
Pay attention to font and format
Design matters. Your résumé should be clear and uncluttered, with just enough flair to stand out and invite the reader to take a closer look. Avoid using fancy fonts, too many fonts or unnecessary colour. The key is to keep it simple.
Highlight key skills
Also in the top third of your résumé, catch the hiring manager’s attention with a short list of dot points outlining your key strengths. Alternatively, summarise your skills and experience in a short Career Profile. This provides a useful snapshot and cements the value you can bring to the role.
For each application, rework this section to emphasise the skills most relevant to that job (rather than using the same language for every job). Applicant tracking systems (the software used to scan résumés), look for relevant keywords in order to progress the most suitable candidates. The trick to making it into the ‘Yes’ pile is to identify phrases from the advert and mirror them in your résumé.
If you still have an ‘Objectives’ section underneath your header, delete it. You want to show what you can do for an employer, not what they can do for you.
Identify your points of difference
The body of your résumé should outline your career history in reverse chronological order. For each role, list your achievements, backing your claims with relevant facts and figures. For example: ‘Introduced administrative efficiencies that resulted in an improved customer response time of 100 per cent.’
The key is to make yourself look unique by identifying what you did that was different. We call these your points of difference, or PODs.
The Proven Group
The Proven Group skilled writers will create a professional résumé for you that not only looks good but also highlights your key skills and points of difference, giving you the competitive edge.
The Proven Group are award-winning résumé-writers and recruiters servicing the western suburbs of Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong. The Proven Group also provides professional cover letter-writing, interview coaching, personal profiling, career counselling and advice on how to address key selection criteria. Contact us today to find out how we can help you further your career.
