Make your resume stand out!

A recent eye-tracking study revealed recruiters look at resumes for an average of 7.4 seconds. With more and more employers listing jobs online, it is so essential for job seekers to make sure their resume is displaying the right traits for the right audience.

I have compiled the best tips to make sure you have everything you need to make your resume stand out amongst the crowd and secure you an interview.

Professional summary

Short, sharp and to the point! Use the summary to describe your experience and achievements relevant to the role concisely. The summary should perfectly surmise why you are the perfect candidate based off all the information to come and land this role.

Skills

List the systems, skills and competencies that you have which are most relevant to the current job you are applying to. Where possible, dependent on your skills, you should have keywords from the job description in the same order as they appear in the description.

Work experience, duties and responsibilities

This is where you can expand on what you did in your previous roles. Beginning with your most recent employer and working backwards, include the employer name, your position, both month and year you started and finished, a blurb contextualising why the role existed and a list of your duties and responsibilities. Have leave gaps in your experience? Don’t forget to mention it! If you took six months or a year out, cared for a family member, or travelled, then say it on your resume.

Achievements

While applicants will have similarities in duties and responsibilities for each role type, the achievements section will be where they differ significantly and should be as unique as a fingerprint. This section offers you the opportunity to display what makes you the best at your job. Add at least three most relevant accomplishments and ensure to use examples of work with tangible benefits or results—for example, part of a team that implemented new infrastructure saving the department $100k.

Education, qualifications and licences

Keep it concise by listing the qualification and licences obtained, year of completion, the institution’s name, and expiry if relevant. If relevant to the role, you can add more information such as courses and grade but do this sparingly.

Document format

Many companies using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), making sure that software can easily read your resume gives you a better chance of success. We recommend sending your resume as an MS Word document. And keep it as simple as possible. Don’t add any tables to the resume as it makes it harder for the ATS to read.

Final checks

With all the hard work done, don’t forget to run a spelling and grammar check! Ask someone you trust to proofread to ensure you don’t miss anything.