It’s virtually impossible to get a job if you don’t get an interview. And it’s not very likely that you’ll get an interview without a good resume. If you’re a job seeker, you want to take advantage of resume help to standout from your competition.

Now, your resume won’t define who you are, but it is going to give the employer a feeling for what kind of employee you would be. Unfortunately, worthwhile candidates can get passed over early on in the employment process because of certain nuances in their resume. In some cases, these job seekers are sending the wrong message because of negative elements in their resume. In other cases, they are failing to highlight some of the important aspects of their profile that make them ideal candidates.

Here’s some resume help that can put you over the edge and make sure that you get to the interview stage:

1. Pay attention to detail
   You can’t expect an employer to think you have many of the qualities they’re looking for if your resume has spelling or grammar mistakes. A poorly-written resume – especially one with errors – is a red flag that you lack attention to detail (or don’t care enough to fix your mistakes). In reality though, a well-written resume is expected of you; It’s not an advantage.
2. Make sure your most important information is most prominent
   Employers and recruiting managers often wade through a great deal of resumes, which means they’re going to scan. Make sure they can find the most important information quickly and easily. Typically, this means putting your experience and education information at the top of your resume.
3. Demonstrate who you truly are
   Hiring managers also look for other activities you do outside of your work experience. They want to get a complete view of who you are and how well-rounded you are. Volunteer work, leadership positions at nonprofit organizations, and other involvement in the community are great additions to your resume.
4. Use numbers to highlight your successes
   A great way to stand out from other candidates is to quantify your achievements. If you’re able, demonstrate how much you were able to cut costs or grow revenue, for example. If you don’t have numbers to pull from, awards, achievements, and promotions are other ways to display your worth.
5. Match your resume to the role
   The more you can connect your resume to the job requirements and skills listed in a job description, the better. Having skills are great, but if they’re not relevant to a given job, they don’t mean much. Tweak every resume you send to ensure that it clearly demonstrates the abilities that the hiring manager is looking for.
6. A bonus recommendation
   A great way to get an interview – even beyond your resume – is using your network to get introduced to a company. It’s not always about who you know, but having an “in” usually helps. After all, recruiters are using the resume to get a feel for who you are. But if you have a mutual contact who recommends you, it makes a recruiter far more comfortable with giving you an interview.

A positive statement from a recruitment firm is especially impressive to hiring managers, considering they have worked with you previously and have you in their system.

While your resume is not the “end-all-be-all,” it is undoubtedly an important tool in the interview process. With the resume help and tips listed above (including the bonus), you can give yourself a great edge to land that interview for the job you desire.

Want resume help?

Talk to a recruiting expert now!