Since the outbreak of the current pandemic, companies have been downsizing. But not a lot of job seekers are aware that in fact, other companies are hiring. Most of us will have to get a job or switch jobs at some point. With the stakes raised high, it is important that job seekers also raise their resume games higher.
Since in most cases, the first contact a recruiter will have with a job seeker is through their resume. It’s no news recruiters have no time to through the thousands of resumes they get for a particular job.
Hence, great attention must be made when crafting out a resume that stands out from the crowd.
How can this be achieved? By following strict guidelines when creating a resume that sells a job seeker’s skills making them hirable by any recruiter.
Some of these guidelines are:
Your Personal Statement Should Be Captivating
A Personal Statement is the first thing that appears in a standard resume. Think of this as the first paragraph of an essay and like every introductory paragraph, it has to captivate the recruiter.
Start your personal statement with the skills you’ll be bringing to the table as well as what you’ll be expecting from the company.
Use Keywords
Some organizations make use of Applicants Tracking System [ATS], a software that scans through applications and selects resumes matching specific keywords. Applications not befitting of the preset keywords are tossed out.
It is therefore important to know the keywords specific to your industry and which employers will be looking out for in applications.
In more common terms, keywords are referred to as; “Core Competencies”. A great way of guessing the core competencies or keywords for a specific role is to study the job description for the specific role closely to make out the keywords.
Add Testimonials
Recruiters will see a thousand and one claims from applicants about the jobs they’ve done. And while this in itself isn’t a bad idea, it will not make your resume stand out.
Including a section in your resume for testimonials will give your resume weight since the recruiter has proof they can trust your skills.
Make Use Of Action Verbs
When it comes to making your resume stand out, showing is way better than telling. Hence, the use of action verbs is important.
Avoid using verbs like, “responsible” as this does not give a recruiter a real sense of the role you played in a project or task. Instead, substitute this word with action verbs such as, “execute, supervise, facilitate, design, etc”
By using these kinds of verbs, a recruiter has a sense of the specific role you played in a project.
Format Your Resume With Resume Generator Platforms
Regions and countries have certain officially recognized formats for resumes. These formats typically allow for the same content despite their design. And in fact, some resume designs allow for photographs while other regions don’t.
A sure way to design your resume into the recognized format is to make use of online resume generators. Often times, job seekers overlook this option due to ignorance or fear that the service will be expensive. On the contrary, these kinds of sites are quite affordable. Using sites like the Nigerian-owned CVG 3.0. for instance, you can rest assured that your resume will be designed into the recognized format for resumes among Nigerian recruiters.
Include Your Personal Website
There’s nothing that screams credibility as much as a personal website showcasing job seekers’ or applicant’s skills. Think of this as the final touch to a masterpiece.
Make sure your website has an updated bio of yourself, samples of tasks and projects you’ve executed as well as your contact details and social media handles. For better measures, you may include testimonials as well.
Apps like Wix, Disha, WordPress, and Blogspot, make it easier for anyone to create their own personal website.
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Source: TheCable
