Create the Perfect Resume to Help Secure Your Dream Job

How to Craft an Eye-Catching Resume

Securing a job can often be a tricky process. For many positions, you will often find yourself up against dozens of other applicants, each thinking that they are as equally deserving and qualified for the role as you are. Experience and qualifications can naturally play a big part in whether one candidate is chosen over another. However, a candidate with an eye-catching resume, who has taken the time to carefully consider the expectations of the role, may have the upper hand over someone who presents a generic, error-strewn one. This article will offer tips and tricks on creating a great resume that will surely grab the recruiter’s attention. If you still require additional guidance, then check out our eye-catching resume template to give you an idea of how to get started.

Creating the Right Resume Look

A hiring manager will likely receive hundreds of resumes for very few positions. As a result, they will often look for reasons to quickly whittle down the numbers by looking for easy reasons to reject a resume. An unsuitable resume design is one of these reasons. Avoid the temptation to use fancy fonts; this will grab attention for the wrong reasons. Make sure that your headings are standardized in terms of font and size. Avoid writing “my resume” at the top of the page; recruiters will know what they are looking at, and it comes across as amateur. The best resume will often make good use of white space and bullet points to look appealing on the page. Most successful applicants will present a one or two-page resume at most and will use their cover letter to offer more details.

• Keep Your Header Simple

  Your resume header is the first thing recruiters will see. You will need your name, contact information, and location. Make sure that you choose a professional font and keep it consistent throughout.

• Write a Tailored Resume Objective

  A professional resume will include a resume objective. This is where you will state what you are looking to achieve through sending your resume. It is the first impression you will leave on a hiring manager and can be considered your elevator pitch to them.

  Make sure you tailor this objective depending on the role you are going for. Provide a single line detailing the most relevant experiences to the job and state your years of experience in the role. Write the exact job title you wish to obtain and what you are looking to achieve within this position.

• Focus on Hard Skills

  Your skills section should detail the core competencies you possess that will allow you to thrive in the role. You should look to include both soft skills and hard skills.

  Soft skills are those that are transferable across multiple roles and sectors. They are good qualities to have, and you should list them. For example, a nurse may include soft skills such as compassion, communication, and time management.

  However, hard skills will give a recruiter a better indication of your qualifications for the role. These are skills specific to the role that another employee can be trained in. For example, a software engineer might list the specific coding languages they have experience in. A supervisor will state that they have senior leadership experience.

• List Relevant Job Experience

  When it comes to your work history, focus on the roles that are closely linked to the position you are applying for. If you are someone who doesn’t have years’ worth of work experience, then you would list all that you have done and highlight the aspects of each role most relevant to the job description.

  If you are a bit more experienced with various job roles under your belt, then focus on achievements rather than duties. A potential employer will know the types of things you would do as a teacher. What did you achieve at your last school? Did your class achieve excellent test scores? Did you successfully implement new school policies?

  A hiring manager will want to know that you have the potential to bring value and improvements to the company.

• Provide Your Education and Training

  A typical resume format will include a section for your education and training. Make sure you list the qualification gained, the institution you trained at, the grade achieved, and the time period spent for each entry.

• Show Off Your Certificates

  If you have accumulated several years of experience in the same field, then you may have picked up awards and recognition while working. Likewise, educators may have recognized you if you excelled during your training.

  Make sure potential employers are aware of this.