In today’s job market, it can feel impossible to stand out from the crowd. Unless you have a unique skill set or certification, it’s difficult to know what makes you stand out as a job candidate. That’s why your resume is so important.
It’s your first impression to potential employers and often the only thing standing between you and an interview. Whether you are fresh out of college and looking for your first job, or you have been in the workforce for some time and are trying to find new opportunities, creating a professional resume can be an intimidating task.
Even if you’ve had experience creating resumes in the past, the job market is continuing to change quickly with new technologies and trends emerging constantly. If you are looking for tips on how to create the perfect resume that will get you hired fast, check out these 7 tips for creating a resume that stands out from the crowd.
Be Professional and Confident
The first thing an employer will notice about your resume is the overall quality of your presentation. You want to be sure to use a professional, clean-looking paper stock, and either black or a dark navy-blue ink when printing your resume.
Be sure to include your name and contact information at the top of each page and avoid using fancy fonts or clip art. Fancy fonts can come across as unprofessional, and clip art will make your resume look dated. You also want to make sure you are confident in the content you are presenting on your resume.
Employers can sense nervousness, so if you are overly nervous about what you are saying in your resume, it will come across as unconfident. Your body language and tone of voice will also affect how your resume comes across. Make sure to maintain eye contact and be sure to project your voice confidently so employers know you are confident in what you have to say.
Use an Easy-to-read Font
Choose a sans serif font like Arial or Calibri (or even better, Helvetica) that is clean and easy to read. It’s also important to make sure you aren’t using a font that’s commonly seen on resumes that are several years old.
It’s easy to spot a common font on a resume if you have seen it many times before. Making sure you have a modern, clean font on your resume will help draw the eye to it and help it stand out from the rest.
Show Off Your Skills
If you have specific skills or certifications that make you stand out from the crowd, definitely use that as a way to show off your skills and differentiate yourself from other job candidates. For example, if you are an expert with Excel, make that clear on your resume.
Employers are more interested in skills than just knowledge of the program. You can list those skills on the “skills” section of your resume. Be sure to pick skills that are specific and relevant to the job you are applying for. Using generic skills like “proficient in Microsoft Office” is not very helpful, but if you are an expert with Excel, that shows an employer that you can be valuable in their company.
You can also use the skills section to show off language or computer programming skills, certifications, and volunteer work.
Mention the Company or Job Title You’re Applying To
Many job seekers make the mistake of not mentioning the company or job title they are applying to on their resume. You want to make sure you are tailoring your resume to each specific job. If you don’t mention the company or job title, employers will likely ask why you didn’t include that information.
Make sure to include the name of the company and/or the specific position you are applying for. If you are applying for a general job, focus on skills and accomplishments instead of the company.
Summary at the Top
Most resume templates have a two-part design, with a skills section near the bottom and a work history section above it. Many hiring managers will only look at the top part of your resume, and skimming it quickly, so you want to make sure that section is as strong as possible.
One way to do that is to include a short summary at the top of the resume. Make sure to tailor this summary to the job you are applying for, and don’t repeat any information that is listed below, just restate it in a different way.
Don’t Forget to Include Your Contact Information
This is a no-brainer, but many job seekers forget to include their contact information on their resumes. Make sure to include your name, phone number, email address, and mailing address at the top of your resume.
Use a Professional Resume Template
There are many websites that have resume templates that are suitable for a variety of industries and job titles. You can also find resume templates that are available for Microsoft Word or other popular word processing software.
Using a resume template will help you stay consistent so each resume looks the same, and it can also help you avoid making common resume mistakes. If you are having trouble coming up with a professional template for your resume, there are plenty of resume templates for different industries that can help.
You can also find resume samples online that include examples of what different sections of a resume should look like.
Conclusion
Creating a resume can be a terrifying task, especially if you have never done it before. It can feel like one of the most important pieces of your job search.
With so many tips, tricks, and hacks, it’s easy to become overwhelmed and not know where to start. Before you begin, make sure to prioritize your most impressive skills and find ways to incorporate them into your resume.
You can’t be perfect, but you can follow these tips to create a resume that will get you closer to getting the job you want.