Do you know that employers spend an average of six seconds skimming through a resume before deciding whether an applicant is worth their time for an interview? In just six seconds, they’ll scan through your work experiences, special skills, education background and everything else you’ve included in your resume.
This is why the way you organize and present your resume is critical: it may just be a simple piece of document, but it can decide your future. Below are some tips and tricks you can use to make your resume look appealing to a prospect employer.
Make Every Resume Unique
No two resumes should be the same. Do not just read the posting, but study it as well. Find at least three traits that the listing needs and incorporate it to your resume. Likewise, make sure to research about the company and know the role and tasks of the vacant position. Having a clear idea of the company’s history and mission statement, researching them online and following them on social media will benefit you in the interview and help tailor your resume better.
Format It Smartly
If an employer only goes through your resume for an average of six seconds, make sure that you highlight the most important points about you. Underlining, bolding and italicizing are great ways to draw attention to vital points of your resume. Also, using bullet points is recommended as it adds clarification to your resume, while making it easy for the reader to see key points.
Tweak Your Objective Statement
Nowadays, the ‘objective statement’ portion of a resume is no longer a priority. Most employers today do not care what you are looking for in a job, but more on finding the best person for the job. Instead of expressing what you want and expect in your future workplace, create a summary that states your most recent job experiences and top achievements. This lets the employer see the positive things going on in your career, not why you want this job.
Show Off Your Side Gigs
Perhaps, your current 9-to-5 job doesn’t let you show your brilliance and creativity, but you have a side gig as an event organizer. Find a way to incorporate that to your resume. Share some of your remarkable projects that show off your skills, passion, drive and creativity. If it’s something you do other than your full-time job, then that must be really meaningful to you. Doing two or more jobs at the same time is enough to give a prospect employer an impression of your perseverance, great time management and exceptional drive to be successful.
The key to landing your dream job is to showcase your passion to a potential employer, but do so in a thoughtful, fun and smart way. And if an employer doesn’t see your essence, it’s their loss, not yours. Move on to the next company that will give importance to you and to your mad skill.
