17/01/2023
5 TIPS TO GET YOUR RESUME NOTICED (FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS)
In Australia’s highly competitive employment market, your resume’s main job is to get you on the interview pile in 30 seconds or less, otherwise, your documents will end up in the recycle bin and you may never get a chance to market yourself in person for your dream job.
Whilst format and structure for resumes are important, the first thing you need to worry about is the content, with an emphasis on accuracy, easy navigation and readability. Once this has been dealt with, then you can focus on streamlining the document’s structure and formatting. Remember, your resume certainly won’t be the only one sent to the recruiter; it will get compared to all the others in the pile. It isn't just about how well suited you are for the role, initially, it is about how your resume looks compared to the other documents submitted. All it takes is a little extra something to make your resume stand out from the rest.
Here are five essential things you need to consider when writing your resume:
1. Customise
It usually isn’t enough to write a custom cover letter. Your resume content must be edited to match the specific job requirements as closely as possible. You should carefully consider the key words used in the job advertisement or the job description and be sure to include those same words in your resume.
2. Be specific
Details are necessary to demonstrate that you are the right person for a job. When describing your previous positions, don't just give a generic explanation or assume the recruiter will understand the details based on the job title or company. Instead, expand your responsibilities or achievements to highlight the exact things that are pertinent to the job you are applying for. A short blurb about the company’s activities or industry can clarify this for the recruiter.
3. Highlight transferable skills
Sometimes there isn't a 100% fit between your background and the position you are applying for. To deal with this, you need to highlight your individual skills and even describe how each skill is transferable to other roles and industries.
4. Focus on relevance
As you gain career experience, you will end up with a longer resume, yet a long resume isn't necessarily what will get you to an interview.
Review your previous positions and further develop those that are relevant using the suggestions above and reduce the ones that aren't. This way, the recruiter won't have to sift through unrelated positions to find the ones that match the job you are applying for. Even creating a separate section for the most relevant roles and simplifying the others can make it easier for the recruiter to find the information they need. This is particularly important for your earliest positions where you could combine your responsibilities and accomplishments together if necessary. Keeping everything you have done in your career to date in your resume can make for a very long document; however, gaps can often be viewed with suspicion by recruiters so snapshots of older roles may be an appropriate solution.
5. Answer their questions before they ask
As mentioned already, you don't want the people reviewing your resume to assume anything, so think about the questions a recruiter might have about your career background and answer them directly in your resume or cover letter. This should include what your true responsibilities are compared to the position title, why there might be a gap between positions, etc.
Finally, you do need to consider a simple structure and clear format after you’ve tailored the content. You still need to make it easy for the reader to quickly see the information that matters, remember it and link it to their needs.
Following these tips needn’t be a stressful exercise—when you get your documents prepared by one of the professional Consultants at Résumés for Results, you can be sure that all this will be looked after. Why don’t you get in touch with us? We can discuss how we can create a resume that will make you stand out from the crowd. Don’t delay, contact us today!
