Hiring managers receive a lot of resumes and with so many people out work, the pool of competition to land a job has only gotten larger since the Great Recession started. So CareerBuilder has some advice on how you can make your resume stand out from the crowd.
10 ways to get your resume noticed
- Start from scratch — Rearrange. Change your font. Try something new if you haven’t had success with your current resume and see what happens.
- Use a different format — Using the standard chronological resume may not be most beneficial to you. Other types of resumes — like functional or combination — may work for you.
- Ditch the empty words and vague phrases — Are the following words in your resume: people person, go-getter, team player, hard-working, multi-tasker, self-starter or results? Employers say they’re overused and often ignored by hiring managers.
- Make your achievements stand out — Many people list their job duties, but often ignore their accomplishments.
- Quantify your accomplishments — Quantifying results shows hiring managers what you can really do for them.
- Include a summary or objective — It’s a step most people forget, but it helps employers know if you’re a good fit for their organization.
- Fill in the gaps — Waiting for an interview to explain any gaps in your work history might not get you an interview in the first place. A different resume format or an explanation for job lapses might help the employer understand you aren’t trying to hide something sketchy.
- Keep it simple — A simple layout will catch the employer’s eye better than fancy colors or crazy fonts.
- Double-check for the basics — Sounds simple enough. But none of your hard work will pay off if your phone number or e-mail address is incorrect.
- Check for consistency — Use consistent fonts, sizes, bullets, and other formatting options. It looks cleaner and shows employers you have an eye for detail.
For more information about how to get your resume noticed, check out CareerBuilder’s advice here.
We interviewed CareerBuilder’s Jason Ferrara on how to revamp your resume. He has more tips on how to improve your resume. And also tells Tess Vigeland the worst thing he’s seen someone do with their resume… Let’s just say it involves teddy bears.
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