So, there’s a job opening at a company that seems to be what you think is your big break to jump start your career. But the problem is that you’re competing against a thousand hopefuls just like you who also want this job badly. Now, the question is, how do you rise above the competition?
It’s easy to write a resume but it’s harder to write a good one. When you’re writing your curriculum vitae, you don’t need to strictly follow the standards, because there actually aren't any. The truth about resumes is that they don’t have a specific format. Its purpose is to serve as a tool for advertising your credentials and getting the attention of prospective employers. In this article, we are going to help you learn the most effective ways of writing a successful resume so you can land that dream job of yours.
For starters, you basically need to include the following details in your resume:
Personal information
Education history
Employment history
Character reference
You can also add the following optional details to make it more interesting to read:
Career objective
Interests
All of the basic elements stated above must be indicated in your resume, but the thing is, it’s still not a winning resume.
Facing The Competition
The reality is that your resume is still insufficient to get the attention of headhunters and employers. Why? Because no matter how much skillful or how much you are very dedicated to your job, it won’t be useful unless your resume gets noticed.
The thing is, you are competing with other hopefuls who are vying for the job that you like. And, if it is a very meaty and rewarding job, then it’s going to be a hell of a competition. In order to stand out, you need to present your resume in a style that is completely different but still has that professional touch. You need to think out of the box.
What's The Purpose Of Your Resume?
You can actually build a successful resume that will make you a more qualified nominee for that job position that you really want to get. First, you need to know the purpose of your resume and how to make it more interesting.
Imagine the person who is tasked to screen every applicant who is interested for the job. For sure, they will be digging through a ton of monotonous and boring resumes, and if yours is just the same, then it most probably will end up in the paper shredder. Now, your main objective is to get your resume noticed and make them more interested with what you’ve indicated on that document.
Power It Up With Power Words
Using power words can actually help a lot in making your resume more interesting to read. Power words are positive and apposite languages that can certainly change the way employers look at your resume. For example, the phrase “They told me that that I have good communication skills." Sure, this may sound good, but there’s a form of doubt since you are referring to other people’s opinion of you.
With the use of power words, you can improve this negative statement and change it to “I have exceptional communication skills." In this way, employers will be more curious on how exceptional you really are and to be able to do this, they need to interview you!
Usage Of Bullets And Highlights
The usage of bullets can also be very helpful in highlighting key details in your resume. This can also make your document more organized and interesting to read instead of browsing through a series of paragraphs. Proper organization of words and details will show your structural skills and how good you are in it.
With the help of these simple tips, you will certainly give your resume a better chance of getting noticed and shortlisted for an interview. In summation of all the points mentioned, you need to make your resume different and unique for it to stand out against other documents but on the other hand it still needs to look professionally made. If you’re able to achieve this then you are certainly going to get a callback from your prospective employer.
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Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.