How To Make Your Resume, Stands Out

By Author: Tony Bullock
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Your resume has one purpose, to get you a job interview. Think about, the person reviewing your resume. They probably look at hundreds of others, so yours has to stand out from the crowd in order to get a call. Here are 8 resume tips that will help you write a resume that gets you noticed.

1. Target your resume for every job. – The best resumes are always the most relevant. It is very easy to tell if a resume has been “mass produced” and not targeted to the job being applied for. If an individual takes time to customize the resume for the specific position they are applying for, it makes it more relevant.
The best way to do this is to read the job description and use similar language as the employer. If the employer is looking for someone who can “multitask and handle multiple projects at one time,” then you should find a way to highlight that skill if you possess it. This makes you look like a great match for the position and increases your chances of scoring an interview.

2. Use a job title that will impress. – Here are two job titles, you decide which one makes more of an impact.
“Manager” ...
... or “Manager of Logistics and Distribution”
If you picked the second title, you’re right. The second title is more job specific and targeted, which gives the employer a clearer idea of what your role was at your previous position. Considering that the person reviewing resumes takes a few fleeting seconds to look over yours, a job title like the second one will “stand out” and give you a better chance of being interviewed.

3. Focus on achievements not duties. – Many resumes just list duties and responsibilities, and don’t highlight any achievements. For example, instead of saying you were a nurse on a general med/surgical ward, you could add the course or in-services you attended whilst in that position to show your achievements or your enthusiasm to learn.

4. Identify and fill the needs of the employer. – Read the job description carefully. Often a resume will show that the applicant barely looked at the job description. Just remember, every employer is looking for someone to fill the needs of the job. If they can’t picture you doing the job based on your resume, they aren’t going to call you for an interview.

5. Use action verbs. – Just like your job titles should impress, so should your choice of words. Use as many “action verbs” as you can to showcase power and signify accomplishment.
For example, if you were a ward clerk you might say “Responsible for answering the telephone,” you could put “communicated and supported patient, nurses and medical staff to maintain the smooth running of the department.” The second choice wording is so much more compelling.

6. Make your resume easy to read. – This may seem like a no brainer, but formatting your resume is extremely important. Make sure you leave enough white space in between the lines and margins. If you squeeze too much information onto one page, it will be very difficult for the screener to read and they won’t be very motivated to get through yours.
Some helpful tips are to use at least 11 or 12 point font in Times New Roman or Arial and keep margins at least 1 inch. Use bullet points to list out your accomplishments instead of writing them paragraph style.

7. Create an email proof formatting. – These days, many companies don’t even want to see a hard copy resume. All they want is an electronic resume that is submitted through a form on their website. Considering this, you have to create a resume that will still be readable when received on the other end.
You should create a text-based resume in Notepad that doesn’t have any fancy formatting. If your resume is in Microsoft Word format and has bullets or tab spacing, you will have trouble translating these types of formatting over when submitting your resume on the company’s website form. So take the time to create a simple, text-based resume that you can easily cut and paste into any web form. This will save you time, and spare the employer from trying to decipher your resume.

8. Proofread you resume twice. – There isn’t a bigger turn off to an employer than a resume that contains lots of typos and grammatical errors. Not only does this look really bad, but it also shouts out your lack of attention to detail. Now who would want to hire someone who has poor literary skills and/or turns in poor work?
You can never proofread your resume enough. Your resume is a reflection of yourself. Before submitting it, make sure there aren’t any errors or mistakes so it showcases your talents in the best way possible.

I hope these resume tips bring you lots of success in your job search and helps your resume stands out from the crowd.
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