Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out

In a competitive job market, how can you make sure your resume gets noticed?

Your resume may be the first impression a potential employer will have of you, but in order to achieve that, it has to actually make an impression. Hiring managers see a lot of resumes, which means not only does yours need to have strong content and be presented clearly, but it also needs to be memorable and catch an employers' eye.

Here are some tips on writing a resume that will stand out from the pack:

Less is more
Be careful not to overload your resume. Cramming as much information about yourself as text size and margins will allow makes it more difficult for the hiring manager to find the most relevant information.
"Remember the purpose of the resume is to get you the interview. Don't load up the resume with everything but the kitchen sink," says Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half. "Instead, put enough detail in the resume to make a hiring manager want to learn more."
Keep in mind, employers tend to have quite a few resumes they need to look over, and thus don't tend to spend much time on any individual resume – at least in the early stages of the application process. The easier your resume is to read, the more likely it is to actually be read.
"Use short bullets that someone can easily scan," suggests McDonald. "An easy-to-read resume that shows a hiring manager you're results-oriented and can do the job will help move you to the 'need to interview' list of candidates."

Customize to the job requirements
No two jobs are exactly alike, and the resumes you submit shouldn't be either. Employers like to know that a candidate is legitimately enthusiastic about the open position, and submitting a cookie-cutter resume with irrelevant information sends the message that you didn't put in much effort.
"As a job seeker, your resume should be modular – able to be adjusted and tweaked to fit the job requirements. A one-size-fits-all resume is like job seeking with a blindfold on," says Lida Citroen, owner and principal of branding and marketing firm LIDA360. "Hiring managers and recruiters are often overwhelmed with resumes for open positions. The easier you can make their job, the more likely your resume will get reviewed."

Highlight achievements
In order to stand out, it's not enough to simply list the skills you have that match up with the employer's needs. Provide evidence that you do, in fact, possess said skills, and examples of how you've put them to use in the past.
"Frame your work experience with quantifiable or specific business outcomes you've helped achieve. For example, rather than 'opened new accounts and sold into existing customers,' consider noting you 'developed a new business pipeline of $3 million and secured 18 new clients,'" says Daphne Wotherspoon, managing director of the IT practice at HireStrategy. "It makes your professional accomplishments more tangible for hiring managers."

Web presence
Where resumes once provided job seekers the ability to manage the information prospective employers had on them, in the Internet era, that's no longer the case.
"The Internet IS your resume," says Karen Cahn, CEO of Vproud TV. "It's dated to think that the 1 sheet of paper you write your credentials on is the only thing that matters. It's only part of the story. Your online presence is just as critical."
Even with the additional information employers can find via the Internet, your resume is still a crucial tool. "A resume is a part of your toolkit, not the entire solution," says Citroen. "Successful job seekers build their personal brand and reputation and have a resume, which serves as an extension of all that information."

Resume Reboot: How to Take Your CV From Decent to Dynamite

Make the most of your minute on a recruiter's desk

Shelley Huber

Love or loathe them, a resume starts the process of getting that job you want. It's the first impression a recruiter, HR executive, or other hiring professional has of you, so it should be a document that tells your professional story in an engaging way that -- hopefully -- prompts the reader to take action by helping you get your foot in the door.

But first, let's take a step back and understand that your resume acts like a gateway. It's just one part of a whole that is made up of your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and any other digital footprint you have out there. As they are all extensions of you, it's important to have them reflect back an accurate version of who you are and what your story's all about. Think about strong brands and how consistent they are. This also applies to you and your personal brand.

Now comes the "how" of getting noticed. Let's simplify and think of a resume in terms of structure and content. There are those of us who work with the standard format and others like the applicant at Airbnb who took her resume to a whole different galaxy. Not to worry, you don't have to go there. (Though kudos to her for her hard work and determination.) However, you do want to get noticed, and here are some key strategies to make that happen.

"Don't sell yourself short," says Heidi Duss, Founder of Prepster, a company dedicated to helping individuals make the best first impression. "A resume ... helps a potential employer understand your achievements and successes throughout your career." And on the subject of success, Duss emphasizes putting modesty on the back shelf and, instead, owning it. It's the fruit of all your hard work, right?

"Think back to the achievements that made you an asset to your previous employers," says Duss. "Consider not only what you did but also how it was achieved." Remember to use the power of "X" by "Y," when describing your accomplishments, as in, "I increased our bottom line by 40% ("X") by fine-tuning our SEO strategy ("Y")," instead of just "I increased our bottom line by 40%."

Show numbers as much as is appropriate. People like numbers because they help set up a context for what you are describing. As an example, if you did a special internship or got into a competitive program, don't forget to describe that you were selected out of "X" amount of other candidates. This helps to give a sense of the kind of selectivity you were up against.

Also remember the power of using keywords associated with the job description in your resume. Think of how you scan articles when you're looking for a particular subject matter. The same goes with recruitment. Use your words strategically.

And lastly, remember the little things. "Never underestimate the power of spell check! Have a mentor or friend review your resume for grammatical errors and ensure that the layout is visually appealing," says Duss. It's hard to imagine that after putting your heart and soul into your resume that it will be looked over in under one minute, but that is the reality. However, if you make that minute count for the reader, your voicemail and email inbox might start getting very busy, very soon.