Resume writing is an important skill to have before you venture into the job market. A great and well-written resume can be the difference between someone who has gainful employment and an underemployed or unemployed person. On the other hand, a plain and boring resume can make your prospective employer or recruiter lose interest, and you’ll be wondering what went wrong when you don’t get called for an interview.
Sourcing for an attractive and professional-looking resume template is one great way to arrest your recruiter’s attention. However, a great template won’t do you any good if your resume writing skill is poor. So, do you want to up your game? This article is for you. We will discuss tips that can help you write a powerful resume.
Having different versions of your resume cannot be overemphasized. Your resume design and content should be tailored to align with the job. Employers are now using tools to extract correct information from CVs, and you’ll undoubtedly want yours to be engaging. So what are these tips?
Find Keywords in the Job Posts and Incorporate them into your resume
The first step to writing a great resume is paying attention to the details in the job postings. Carefully read through the postings and note the keywords that show exactly what the employer is seeking in their ideal job candidate. As job postings differ, so do their keywords. The trick is to study the job description to know these keywords.
After pinning the keywords down, the next thing is to use them appropriately in your resume. For instance, if you’re applying for the job of a content writer, the employer may list keywords such as “attention to detail,” “ability to meet deadlines,” “SEO content,” and so on. Focus on areas designated as “Qualifications” or “Requirements.” If the skills you have are there, include those keywords in the “skills” section of your resume.
Study Samples of Resumes Specific to your Industry
Before drafting your resume, endeavor to study or review examples of resumes in your industry to draw inspiration or learn a few pointers. What do you watch out for when studying resume examples?
- Level of simplicity and readability: It would help if you don’t mistake using sophisticated words thinking it will impress your employer. They barely make out time from their busy schedules to review your resume, so write with that in mind. Please keep it simple and very readable. A readable and straightforward resume will impress your employer and might land you that job.
- Brevity: Every section of your resume should be short and straightforward, with no padding or filler content. This also applies to your resume summary and your professional background. So how do you keep it short and to the point? Simple! Add only the essential and relevant information in those sections. A side benefit is that your prospective employer may quickly see how suitable you’re for the job.
- Utilize the power of numbers: When you review the experience section of resume samples, you’ll notice that there are almost always metrics included. Why? Because employers are drawn to quantifiable value. Also, numbers help them see the value you can bring to their organization clearly. For instance, your experience section of a content writer’s job reads, “daily output of 100% original content with an average SEO score of 75%.“
Employ Active Language
Active language is more engaging than passive language. Since the aim of your resume is to engage your prospective employer, you should use it when writing your resume. Also, learn to use active language without padded words. You can do this by utilizing power words such as “accomplished” in your resume.
For instance, your current job description reads, “During my time at ABC Media-Tech, I was involved in leading several collaborative projects and supported each member to carry out the various tasks affiliated with each project.”
Now, this is a padded and weak job description. A shorter and stronger version will read:
Conducted several collaborative projects and effectively oversaw group tasks.
The second version is shorter but stronger. That’s the power of active language.
Add Only the Most Relevant Information and Write Them in order of Decreasing Importance
Regardless of how comprehensive or detailed your professional or educational background may be, always keep it as short as possible. A lengthy professional background may end up boring your prospective employer. According to research, recruiters spend an average of 6 seconds on your resume. Make it count!
When writing your educational or work background, start from the most recent and relevant.
Conclusion
Your font type also matters. Always use an appropriate or professional-looking font on your resume. Recommended fonts are Arial, Calibri, and Times New Roman. A recommended font size is 12 points, which is just perfect.
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