Did you know that 40 percent of hiring managers spend less than a minute reviewing each new resume or CV? If it seems promising, they will keep reading it. If not, it goes in the recycling. How can you ensure your resume doesn’t get tossed out?
There are hundreds of mistakes hiring managers see on resumes. By avoiding the biggest mistakes and writing an effective resume, you are more likely to get a call.
Keep reading for the 15 best tips on how to get your resume noticed. Use them on your resume or CV and you will be landing a job in no time.
1. Tailor Each Resume
Each resume should be specifically written for the job you are applying for. Make it clear that you want a job in fin-tech, for example, not a general full-time office job.
If you use an objective section, tailor it to the company. Focus less on what you are looking for, and more on what you want to offer the company.
2. Use Negative Space
There is such thing as too much information. White space on your resume or CV is important for easy reading. If it is jam-packed with text, it will be overwhelming to the reader.
A cluttered resume signifies a disorganized and indecisive employee. Leave out unnecessary information and embrace the empty white space.
3. Easy To Read Text
There are thousands of fonts to choose from, but your resume should use one of the five most common. Arial, Times New Roman, and other readable fonts are your best choices.
You may be tempted to use a creative font to stand out, but you shouldn’t. There are other ways to be unique on your resume or CV (keep reading), but the font needs to be clear. Readability is key for hiring managers.
4. Don’t Include Old Jobs
If you have a few decades of work under your belt, your resume could easily be four pages long. Since your resume should only be one page, cut out some information. Cut the clutter and get rid of the odd jobs on your resume or CV that don't fit with the job you are seeking.
Only include experience from the last 10-15 years. Anything older than that, unless extremely relevant, is just taking up space.
5. Put Everything In Order
The top of your resume or CV should have your name and contact information. Then, your objective or headline. Place your educational background at the bottom of the resume. Employers in most fields care more about concrete experience than they do education. One exception is new graduates who don’t have work experience.
6. Match To LinkedIn
Your LinkedIn profile is like a digital copy of your resume. If you say one thing on paper, but they check your LinkedIn and it is different, that is a bad sign.
Hiring managers catch people lying on resumes and CV all the time. Ensure your online resume information matches the paper. Consider optimizing your LinkedIn page for online job recruiters.
7. Send As A PDF
Never send your resume in a Word document. Depending on the device the employer opens it on, the format could get messed up. PDFs are more consistent across different devices. You’ll be sure they see your resume as you formatted it.
8. Check For Spelling And Grammar
Spelling mistakes are one of the biggest red flags on a resume or CV. Take the extra five minutes to run it through a spell check tool or get someone to proofread it. If you’re not great at spelling, do both.
9. Use Real Proofs
It’s often tempting to use industry buzzwords on your resume to sound knowledgeable. Doing this will likely garner an eye roll from the hiring manager.
Instead, use as much proof as you can. If you sold over a million dollars of product for a company, say so. Use numerical proof whenever you have it to prove your skills.
10. Keep A Master Resume
A tailored resume won’t include every job or position you’ve ever had. But, future resumes for different positions might need that info.
Keep a master resume list on your computer of every piece of information you might need. Then, copy and paste relevant parts into the current resume you’re working on.
11. Be Unique, But Not Too Unique
You want to stand out for being creative and unique, not strange and disorganized. Choose wisely when you go to add colors, graphics, and icons. Use a cohesive color palette and keep the text black. The content and readability are more important than showing your uniqueness.
12. Swap Skills For Experience
In some industries, skills are more important than job experience. For example, a salesperson needs to have strong persuasive communication. They don’t necessarily need past sales experience.
Focus on transferable skills you got in past positions. If they’re valuable to this employer, highlight them.
13. Use Relevant Keywords
Many big businesses use resume-skimming software for digital resumes. That means their software if scanning the resumes for keywords. Resume writing services can help you put the right keywords in your resume and phrase sentences to spark hiring managers' interest.
Ensure your resume uses these keywords. They’re different for each industry. An HVAC company may look for keywords related to specific techniques, for example.
14. Keep Your Interests On-Brand
There was a time when having a personal interests section made sense. Like when you were in high school looking for your first job.
Only include personal interests that relate to the job you want. If it’s a music company, mention playing guitar. If it’s a publishing house, mention reading historical fiction. Don't talk about walking your dog or working out unless it’s relevant.
15. Hire A Professional
If you’d rather skip the tedious process of writing a resume or CV, hire a professional. Professional resume writers have expertise in curating the perfect resume for their clients.
It’s guaranteed to be clear, accurate, organized, and specific to the employer. Before hiring a writer, find out more about their experience and their success rates.
Want More Tips On How To Get Your Resume Noticed And CV Looked At?
Your resume or CV is an employer’s first impression of you. Think of all the traits you want to get noticed for and use them in your resume-writing.
If you're wondering how to get your resume noticed or CV taken seriously, start by being organized. Be concise, clear, and prove you have the skills needed for the job.
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