The job market has been in a state of flux ever since the Covid-19 pandemic occurred and the emergence of remote work truly took hold. As a result, new job requisitions are being posted on a daily basis in a variety of fields. In fact, since March 2022, the unemployment rate has fluctuated between 3.4 to 3.7 percent, going to show how common roles are being posted and filled.
To this end, learning how to craft a standout resume for your job applications can help you return to the workforce quicker:
How Important is a Strong Resume?
In most situations, the resume is the first item that will be considered when a recruiter evaluates your application. A resume will even be considered before a cover letter that has been submitted. However, despite being the first thing considered, a resume is only looked at for a small period of time. On average, a recruiter will only look at your resume for six to seven seconds, which means this is exactly how much time you have to make your first impression.
5 Tips for Creating an Effective Resume
While crafting an effective resume may seem like an impossible challenge, especially if you have been out of the job market for some period of time, it is a crucial skill to learn. Specifically, there are five primary tips which should be used:
- Place an emphasis on your formatting
The first and most important rule when it comes to crafting a resume that catches the eye of a recruiter is to focus on the formatting. A resume needs to be clean and orderly, with the most important callouts highlighted for a recruiter to find easier. This is why placing a major emphasis on figuring out your formatting is so important. While this formatting can vary from industry to industry, the best resume templates can be applied to a number of roles.
- Keep things direct and to the point
When writing the bullet points which describe your previous roles, avoid rambling on for multiple sentences. Given that you only have six to seven seconds to make an impression, a recruiter will not go searching for specific highlights. This means you need to know what to call out from your years of experience, which requires adequate planning ahead of time.
- Utilize the right language
Building off of the last point, it’s not enough to keep things directly to the point. You will also want to ensure you use the right language on your language for the job you are applying to. Look up major keywords for your field and specifically the job you want to see which are the most commonly searched for. Then, aim to incorporate these items into your resume as you write it out.
- Always double check for errors
While it may seem like a simple tip, it is also one that is most often overlooked. After you write up your resume, take a look with your own eyes to identify any potential errors that there may be in your writing. After you take a look for yourself, run your resume through a grammar checker of some sort. Whether that be Microsoft Word or even a plugin through Chrome, using some type of error checker is always recommended. The quickest way to turn a recruiter away from calling you back is to have an obvious spelling error in your resume.
- Focus on numbers and metrics
Finally, as you begin to craft your resume you must remember to focus on numbers and metrics above all else. As you think about your past job history, consider questions such as how many deliverables you completed. Additionally, consider revenue you may have driven to your company so that you can give a specific number to the work you’ve done. It’s one thing to say you worked in a role, but if you don’t provide metrics of any kind then a recruiter cannot put your work into perspective in order to gauge how important your job was.
Regardless of the field you are hoping to enter, having a resume that is perfectly tailored to that specific role is important. Never submit a job application with a generic resume that could be used to apply to fifty other job positions. Always incorporate keywords that relate to the role you are applying for to ensure that your resume stands out from the competition.
Read more:
