Best Resume Tips That Will Get You Hired

Resume That Will Get You Hired | Tips & Examples

Creating a resume that’s appealing to hiring managers takes careful planning and execution. There are several decisions to make regarding the template choice, style, and overall content to include for each job listing. In this article, learn how to craft a well-written resume that is both relevant and interesting to increase your chances of getting hired.

Top tips for creating a resume that will help you get hired

Before you begin drafting your resume or making changes to your existing one, consider these tips to help you get hired.

Be selective about what you include

To keep your resume concise and relevant, consider leaving out work experience that is not relevant to the position. Show the hiring manager that you’re the best person for the job by including skills and work experience that relate to the desired job position. There is no need to include short-term jobs that did not impact your career. If you don’t have much relevant work experience to highlight, look for ways to include any transferrable skills (communication, leadership, organization) that you used in previous jobs that would help you fulfill a new role.

Keep important information near the top

The top half of the resume, also known as the area above the fold, gets the most attention because busy recruiters are most interested in reading about your skills and work experience. For this reason, it is smart to keep the most crucial information regarding your work history near the top half of your one-page resume. This should include your contact information, skills, and most recent or relevant work experience.

Consider leaving out an objective or a summary

When you’re looking to save space and get right to the point, omitting the objective or summary paragraph is a great option. If you decide to cut this section, focus on ways to make the other sections of your resume stand out. For example, you may add an extra bullet point or two to your skills or work experience section that conveys the message you had in the summary. Or you may use the cover letter to explain any additional points about your strengths and career goals.

Create a simple format

Busy resumes are hard to read and discourage recruiters from reading further. If you want to increase your chances of getting hired, keep your resume format clean and simple. Follow standard formatting guidelines when creating your layout.

Examples of standard resume guidelines:

  • Choose a font size between 10 and 12. This promotes readability and allows for adequate space within your text.
  • Stick with a basic font type. Choose Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial, or Century Gothic for a distraction-free message.
  • Include white space. Break up core resume sections with white space in between, which helps content stand out.
  • Use one-inch margins. This helps your text look organized and makes it easier to read.
  • Add bullet points for emphasis. Including short snippets of key information makes your resume more scannable.
  • Consider alignment. It is common practice to left-align the main text of a resume. This makes it easier to read. You can center the resume heading and other section headers.
  • Save it as a PDF file. Unless otherwise noted in the job listing, submit your resume in PDF format. This makes it easier to access, read and share, and it ensures your formatting stays as-is.

Showcase your skills

Crafting a resume that gets you hired takes time and focus. Listing your relevant skills is an important part of the process. Still, sometimes, the skills you list end up being the same as everyone else’s. Go beyond the typical skills list and look for ways to show employers that you possess the skills by showcasing them. For example, instead of listing that you’re an excellent communicator, demonstrate your excellent communication skills throughout your resume and cover letter. Show how detail-oriented you are by submitting your properly formatted resume according to instruction.

Make your resume interesting and unique

When you’ve finished your resume, read through it several times to gauge whether or not it is appealing to a hiring manager. Include information that makes employers excited to speak with you. List your unique successes and achievements for past employers. Use projects related to your past roles, then think of ways to make your explanation compelling enough to get an email or phone call.

Quantify your accomplishments

Sell yourself as a top candidate by using numbers and percentages when describing your achievements. This helps employers understand the scope of your past experiences and how you may help their company achieve its goals. Quantify your accomplishments to support your message in detail while staying concise.

Examples:

  • Negotiated 65% of the client contracts, resulting in a 10% increase in company revenue during my employment.
  • Wrote over 500 original pieces of content for the company website.
  • Managed a team of 45 people for two years while mentoring at least five on a consecutive basis.

Use quality keywords

Use words that matter in your industry and that accurately convey your past roles. Think of ways to enhance your resume content with a variety of verbs and adjectives that describe your history best. Try not to use these words twice, if you can help it. Make your resume tell an interesting story while keeping it professional and concise.

Add a portfolio link

List the most important information on your resume, then include a link to your portfolio or personal website to supplement the rest. This is a great way, especially for creatives, to show your past work. Digital assets like photography, graphic design, and videography are most accessible this way, including writing samples. Plus, links are an easy way for recruiters to share your work with other members of the hiring team.

Review your resume thoroughly

To ensure that your resume is free from typos and other grammatical errors, enlist the help of an online grammar tool—and a few friends with strong writing skills. Beyond catching the stray comma or misspelled word, your reviewers may offer additional suggestions for improving your resume (and may even help you recognize skills and qualities about yourself that you may have missed).

Keep a master resume

The information you include in your resume may differ between applications depending on the job listing. For this reason, it is a good idea to keep a master resume on file that lists every job, skill, and achievement to save time later. It helps to have a reference on hand when writing down relevant information or deciding what to cut out.

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