26 Aug How to Get Noticed — Resume Tips to Get You Hired
If you are out in the job market, or even thinking about getting out into the job market, you will certainly need an updated resume, LinkedIn profile or CV to help promote yourself to potential employers. And of course, it is key that it be free of spelling errors, have up to date contact information and use good grammar. That’s the basics, however, and it will take more than that if you want to your application to be the one they notice.
So how do you make sure that you emphasize the right skill sets and experiences to get a company’s attention? Everyone wants to describe themselves as “effective” and “organized”. But the truth is, that doesn’t really mean anything if your resume doesn’t give some context to these adjectives. You are going to have to be more specific and give concrete evidence of your talent if you want to really leave an impact.
Here are some resume tips for helping you really show off your skills:
Give real life examples. It’s not unusual to see a summary at the top of a resume that insists that the applicant is a “go-getter” and “self-starter”. However, an employer wants concrete examples of how that translated in real life. Explain how you initiated your own campaign to increase productivity on your team, and the group was able to handle more call volume from customers as a result.
Cite measurable successes. Where possible, explain growth in quantitative terms. Instead of saying “experienced sales professional”, try “exceeded sales goals by 25% four quarters in a row”. Tangible results not only are more relatable, they can distinguish you from other candidates.
Lead by example. If you have leadership responsibilities, be explicit about what your role was. Give examples such as the number of people who reported to you, if you managed them with regard to performance reviews and promotions, and if you had hiring responsibilities. If you didn’t have people officially on your team, you can still talk about mentoring other employees, leading specific team projects, and other examples of managing people.
Know what matters. In the era of technology, everyone should be able to say they are proficient in applications like Microsoft Word. If you are fluent in more industry-specific programs or software be sure to describe them. And don’t forget to update your resume and remove or revise descriptions of any applications that have become obsolete or changed names.
Be a social (media) butterfly. Social media metrics in business have become important numbers to track.
[bctt tweet=”If you have a proven social media business record, such as web traffic, audience reach or overall engagement, be sure to mention it.”]
And if you are personally active in social media in your industry, you can list your number of followers, or reference guest blogs that you have authored.
Use these resume tips to get noticed.
Employers review hundreds, if not thousands, of resumes and LinkedIn profiles each year. It can feel incredibly difficult to be distinctive and informative on a single sheet of paper (or one LinkedIn profile), but the truth is that you can easily make yourself stand out from others by simply being sure to provide more details and examples, rather than a string of adjectives or catch phrases.
Bonus points? Have ready a secondary document available upon demand that gives case study examples of prior projects – for example, a brief paragraph describing a project that you helped run and implement – explain the time frame, number of people involved, sales generated, cost savings realized, etc. Two or three vignettes like this that you can quickly produce if requested, can further distinguish you and give you an additional edge in the market.
