So you have the right skills for the job and are really good at what you do.
But how do you make an attractive resume that gets you noticed by potential employers? On average, each HR’s receive almost 250 resumes per day. So how do you ensure that your CV stands out? This is why you need some best resume hacks.
An achievement-oriented resume helps you stand out from the crowd. The best resume is an achievement-oriented resume that gives concrete examples of what you can do on the job.
When you apply for a job, your resume is the first thing that HR sees and so, you need to prepare a good resume that using some resume hacks that will help you stand out. Hence, to make your achievement-oriented resume more perfect, here are the 10 Best Resume Hacks to get you Hired Right Away!
Resume Hack #1 JD is the key
The best resume is one that is simple to read and understand. Recruiters don’t have a lot of time on their hands. The easier you make their work for them, the better. Make sure your resume is eye appealing that has proper margins and indents in order before you hit SEND.
We recommend using the ATS-compliant format (applicant tracking systems) that is recruiter-friendly and gives you a better chance of being shortlisted! If you think you are falling short of the requirements, consider upskilling yourself.
Resume Hack #2 Optimise your Professional Summary
Use your professional summary to present yourself as an expert. It’s your first chance to impress a hiring manager or recruiter. Concentrate on what sets you apart from other candidates, and what you can offer the organization.
Instead of discussing aims or generalizations, concentrate on what sets you apart from other candidates.
Resume Hack #3 Use keywords to your advantage
Whether it is the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) or manual screening, keywords are an important part of candidate shortlisting. Ensure that you use the keywords from the JD uniformly in your resume.
The professional summary, experience, and technical skills sections are some of the best places to add keywords. However, ensure that you do not go about stuffing keywords everywhere; it makes a negative impact on the recruiters.
Resume Hack #4 Add relevant proof
Adding proof of your past achievements works EVERY TIME! You can include facts, statistics, and links throughout the experience part of your CV.
For example – “I successfully trained and motivated a team of five.” OR ‘I achieved a sales growth of 4X during my tenure”. You can also add digital evidence, such as a link to a report you published or online reviews of an event you organized, to support your assertions.
Resume Hack #5 Put the FOCUS on YOU
Make your own actions the focal point of your CV. Phrases like ‘I assisted in’ or ‘I was involved in” are not as effective. Experts advise employing powerful action verbs and taking responsibility for your own results and accomplishments.
Ensure that you do not exaggerate here. Add only those tasks that you were responsible for and you or your company can attest. Otherwise, it can backfire on you.
Resume Hack #6 Highlight your SKILLS
Skills, whether hard or soft, are yardsticks by which a candidate’s worth is measured. As a result, you must adequately present them in your resume. Hence, the ‘Skills’ section in your CV is important.
Cherry-pick the best Personal and Technical skills that you have in your field and present them in a list format. You can also choose to categorize them as ‘Hard skills’ and ‘Soft skills’
Resume Hack #7 Be Choosy
No, recruiters do not want to hear about what kind of music you like, or what genre is your favorite. Save this for later in the interview. Pick and choose WHAT matters to the job. Select the achievements you think may go well with the employer and help you stand out.
Being choosy ensures that you keep your resume crisp and short. You can elaborate on the rest in the interviews that follow!
Resume Hack #8 Edit and Update
After creating the CV, treat it as a ‘living’ document. Keep on editing and updating it timely. Add your experience, achievements, and skills, and every other thing that can add value to your prospective employer. You can also periodically modify your CV based on any good format or structure that you come across.
Do this even when you are not looking for opportunities actively. Having an up-to-date CV at hand ensures that you do not miss any exciting opportunity that may come your way.
Resume Hack #9 Is your FORMATTING in order?
The best resume is one that is simple to read and understand. Recruiters don’t have a lot of time on their hands. The easier you make their work for them, the better. Make sure your resume is appealing and you have dotted the i’s and crossed the t’s before you hit SEND.
Here is a quick formatting checklist for you-
- Is the font style and size uniform throughout?
- Are the headings and subheadings in order?
- What about the bullets and numbering?
- Is the spacing proper?
- Have you aligned it up to the mark?
- Well optimized for printing?
The right formatting makes the resume more recruiter-friendly and gives you a better chance of being shortlisted!
Resume Hack #10 Proofread. Proofread. Proofread
CVs with typos, spelling, and grammatical errors are one of the pet peeves of HRs.
Ensure that you proofread your CV multiple times before you upload it anywhere.
You can start with online tools like Grammarly, and then take the help of a friend or a professional writer. In addition to pointing out the errors, they may even be able to give you insight on how to make it even better.
Resume Hack #11 Keep an appropriate length
There is no ‘correct’ length of a CV. A college graduate’s resume will be shorter than that of a seasoned executive. The HRs that we talked to had different opinions but most agreed that a CV should be a maximum of two-and-a-half to three pages long.
Again, be very careful about the things you include in your resume. This should ensure that you keep the length to an optimum. However, you can utilize more pages if you have the relevant experience, or adding more information seems justified.
Resume Hack #12 Order your resume’s sections based on job requirements
Recruiters usually skim your CV from top to bottom, so plan strategically. Keep the best parts at the top, and move the not-so-flattering ones to the bottom.
For example- If the role requires a specific degree, and you do not have it, you can move the Education portion of your resume to the bottom.
Resume Hack #13 Emulate, do not Copy
Found a good resume? You may be tempted to copy; Don’t! A resume that is completely a copy of something that is available on the internet does nothing for your reputation. Chances are that HR has already come across a similar one, and this can reduce your chances of being shortlisted.
Instead, you can take inspiration from the resume and create your own. Yet another way is to use a resume builder to ensure that your resume is eye-catching.
Resume Hack #14 Use the MS Word
Ensure that you send across the resume in an editable MS Word document UNLESS specified otherwise. Companies usually use legacy systems to screen and store resumes. For this, the HRs need to copy and paste your CV into the program having a Word CV makes things easier.
You can also use document editors that are available on the internet if you do not have MS Word.
Resume Hack # 15 Everything’s in the name
MUST read this- How To Write A Great Job Resume
The most overlooked part of the resume- The file name. Naming your CV can go a long way in helping you get shortlisted. HRs download multiple resumes in a day, and yours is likely to get lost in the ‘Downloads’ section. So how do you make sure that your resume can be found easily?
A most-agreed upon naming format is- FirstName- LastName(Position) or similar.
To sum it up, keep things short, use the correct formatting, be relevant, highlight your USPs, and make your resume as interesting as possible. These resume tips, albeit simple, can take you a step closer to getting shortlisted. If you want to understand more about resume-building, you
Conclusion
It makes a ton of sense that our approach to resumes and job applications should change, now that the formats and gatekeepers are shifting.
The purpose of a resume is to get you an interview…NOT to get you a job! We cannot stress this enough. To get guaranteed job placements, check this link.
Don’t pour everything you’ve got onto that resume. Keep it brief and inviting. Once you get to your interview, it’s your time to shine and explain all of the things you couldn’t fit onto the page (if relevant).
Hope you have taken notes & double-checked these resume hacks so that you definitely get selected in the six-second tests of HR screening. You can follow these top resume hacks or if you still need to give more thought to it, So what are you waiting for? Get going on that résumé right now!
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