Getting your resume to stand out in a competitive job market is always challenging. Your resume is often the first impression an employer will get of your skills and experience. Here are four ways to make your resume stand out from the rest.
Contact Information
Make sure your contact information is updated. As basic as this sounds, as a recruiter, I have come across a lot of resumes that don’t have a current phone number or a valid email address listed. Now, the candidate has missed the opportunity to get a callback. I see a lot of candidates that meet all of the qualifications for the position they applied for, but I wasn’t able to get a hold of them due to outdated contact information.
Target your resume to the job
When job searching and sending your resume to potential employers, you want to start off by targeting your resume for the specific job you are applying for. Your resume should clearly reflect any key skills and accomplishments and then include any relevant work experience that is specific to the industry you are applying for. Including specific keywords from the job description is also helpful.
Keep it short
Keep your resume to one page if possible, and highlight your key skills and accomplishments at the top for easy reference. As recruiters, we read a lot of resumes each day and don’t always have the time to read through an entire resume to determine if a candidate is qualified for the position. Highlighting and targeting your skills at the top of your resume will help with getting your resume noticed and not overlooked. This will then lead a recruiter to dig more into your resume, giving you a better chance of landing an interview.
Proofread your resume
Review your resume before sending it to an employer for any errors, and then review it again! You should also have someone else review it. Sometimes having another pair of eyes review your resume helps to catch any errors you might have missed or they might be able to tell you if the wording of something sounds weird.
There are many online tools and resources to help you create a resume. One of those resources is Goodwill’s MyCareerAdvisor.com. Once you create your free account you can have access to our Resume Creator along with other helpful tools and information to help with your job search. If you need additional help preparing for your job search, visit your neighborhood career center or call 602-535-4444 for more assistance.
Author Bio:
Nancy is a recruiter for Goodwill’s Retail Operations Center. She has been with Goodwill for three years and has experience in recruiting for a variety of industries, including retail, janitorial, among others. Her favorite thing about working at Goodwill is its commitment to providing employees with opportunities to grow and develop new skills.
