Hiring managers and recruiters often have their eyes on dozens of resumes that appear identical. I assume candidates are googling “free resume template” and downloading the same resume file. This may be the most cost-effective method but please know you have options (affordable ones!). Your resume is often looked at for a few short seconds so why not utilize a few hacks to make sure yours stands out from the pile?
Below are 4 tips to help spice things up.
- Add Some Color
But don’t go overboard. A little bit of color will help your resume jump out from stacks of black and white pages. It’s definitely more appealing to the eye. You can use a good color scheme to help highlight certain sections of your resume to help the reader navigate and/or emphasize certain responsibilities. If color scares you, try adding some color to the background of the header. This is a simple touch, but eye catching!
See example:
Source: Pinterest
- Get Rid of Clutter
Remember when I said hiring managers often spend a few seconds looking at your resume? Yeah, I wasn’t lying. Hiring managers are trained to scan through resumes to identify education, skills, etc. that closely reflect the job description. So, make the information you put on there short and sweet, and remove the fluff. Get down to the core of your qualifications so recruiters and hiring managers can decide whether you are a potential fit. Additional tip – if you have 10 years of experience or less, one page resumes typically suffice.
- Use Action Verbs
Don’t be too wordy. Use the job description to develop action verbs that will help prove your experience (unless you haven’t done those things). Instead of “responsible for developing financial plans” try “utilized MoneyGuide Pro to develop 300+ financial plans within 6 months.” This not only shows you’re experienced in developing financial plans but also mentions your experience with technology, Salesforce, and mentions an amount and time frame.
- Use a Professional Photo
Chances are the hiring manager is going to look you up on social media, especially LinkedIn, so why not make it easier for them to associate a face with a name. Pay attention to the word professional in professional photo. Not the best time to use your Tinder photo.
We get it - writing a resume can be a drag. But the good news is spending extra time on your resume can simplify your job search, help you achieve a top notch candidate status and increase your chances of landing a new gig. You can also always send to us for review if you want some friendly feedback. So turn your resume from “bleh”, to “heck yeah!”
Example Resume:
Source: Pinterest
