Ensuring Your Resume Stands Out Advice from An Executive Recruiter and Resume Writer CareerMetis.com

Ensuring Your Resume Stands Out â€" Advice from An Executive Recruiter and Resume Writer Having an impactful résumé will help differentiate you from other candidates. A powerful résumé sells your skills, accomplishments, and professional traits; and establishes the match between you and the job opportunity.Incorporating the following ten tips when drafting your resume can help you stand out from the pack.1) Go deeper than job dutiesevalevalIt’s your responsibility to show evidence of how you have gone above and beyond in the past. Recruiters and hiring managers appreciate achievements supported by hard data. Tell the HR recruiter what you do, then prove to them that you are good at it by listing your accomplishments.Before:Sold automobile, fire, life, property, medical and dental insurance policies to businesses and individuals.After:Brought company from start-up to nearly $3M in premiums in less than ten years.Thebeforeexample reads like a job description. Selling insurance policies is the job duty ofeveryinsurance agent. Theafterexample gives proof and scope. Dig more deeply into your results. How haveyoumade money, improved a process, or boosted your team’s performance?2) Nix the objective statementThe objective statement has fallen out of favor with employers. A résumé is not the place to tell an employer what you want, but rather to show how you can benefit the employer. The potential employer wants to know how you will help them solve their problems.Instead of an objective statement, use an introductory or professional summary section to capture interest and set the tone for those who are making decisions about you. Include your experience, skills, and career accomplishments. You will want to highlight 3-5 of your greatest strengths that correlate with the next job you are seeking.An introductory section can include any of the following:TitleIndustryNumber of years of experienceExpertiseStrengthsAccomplishmentA title statement is a short statement listing the job you are targeting. Be specific with your résumé title. For example, “Senior Healthcare Sales Representative,” “Property Casualty Field Claims Professional.”Why include a title statement and why modify it for each job?A title statement helps with Applicant Tracking System You can find beneficial keywords within job postings, job descriptions, LinkedIn Profiles, and O*NET.Consider adding skills or competency sections to emphasize the abilities you have gained from your various jobs and volunteer activities that relate to the position you are applying for.eval5) Meticulously proofread and editHaving spelling and grammatical errors on your résumé can be disastrous. Spell check programs will not pick up all errors.For example, a recent candidate’s résumé inadvertently used the homophone collage Anything not relevant is muddying up your message. Hiring managers and recruiters are busy. If your résumé is not crystal clear on the job you are targeting and your focus, they will place you in a category Longer résumés tend to be poorly forma tted or become “career narratives” which are laborious to read. One-page résumés can be appropriate for new grads and early-career job seekers.