20 Mar Resume Writing Tips that Will Get You Noticed
How do you stand out from the dozens of applicants employers receive for an open job position? You have an incredible resume with the right information, that is unique, and that gets you noticed.
The best resumes are well-polished, well-written, and has the information the employer is looking for.
Here are five resume writing tips that will get you noticed and help you stand out among the sea of applicants.
1. Use keywords from the job posting
Before you write your resume, you want to carefully analyze the job posting. Are there keywords mentioned several times throughout it? If you notice any words that are mentioned multiple times throughout the posting, highlight them. These qualifications and skills must be important to the employer. This means that you want to highlight these talents and skills in your own resume.
2. Focus on the most relevant information
If you have ample job experience but very little is relevant to the position you are applying for, it is important that you focus on the most relevant experience first. This is one of the most important resume writing tips you need to remember. This is because on average, a recruiter spends only six seconds looking at a resume. You need to capture their attention right away and prove that you are qualified and an excellent fit for the open position.
3. Include numbers
When writing your resume, you want to use formatting and words that quickly capture the attention of those looking at the resume. One of the best ways to do this is to use numbers. For example, use numbers to show how many years you have worked for a certain company, certain accomplishments you have achieved, the number of people you have managed, etc. Definitely this is one of many resume writing tips you’ll see covered over and over again – with good reason! It’s so important to be able to quantify your work. This is a fast way for recruiters to skim a resume and absorb your experience and qualifications.
4. Avoid passive voice
One of the most challenging resume writing tips for individuals, particularly those with little writing experience, is writing a resume in active voice. Active voice is not only easier and more enjoyable to read, but it also makes you appear more qualified and relevant. When writing in active voice, the subject is something or doing something. Passive voice is when the subject is acted upon. For example, below are two sentences describing the same accomplishment on a resume.
Passive voice: A promotion was awarded to me after increasing company revenue.
Active voice: After increasing company revenue, I received a promotion.
You will notice that writing in active voice makes the sentence more challenging to read and isn’t as clear.
5. Proofread!
Before you submit a resume to an employer, it is vital that you spend time proofreading and editing the document. One little grammatical or spelling error can be the difference between asking you to come in for an interview or disregarding your application. It is wise to not only spend time proofreading yourself, but have others look over your resume as well. Online proofreading applications such as Grammarly and Ginger are great resources as well to help you spot unwanted errors.
If you want to be noticed and guaranteed an interview, keep the above resume writing tips in mind. Your resume is the tool to help you get noticed and stand out. When written and formatted well, it will impress employers and recruiters and you will receive more interviews and job offers.
