Career change? Job Searching? Just keeping your options open? Whatever your goal, your resume is a must-have tool on the path to landing the interview. And here are 5 reasons that your resume will get overlooked.
A resume creates the first impression to be a top candidate. To stand out, a candidate needs to have something beyond the standard short and sweet resume to emerge as a well-qualified candidate. Mashable discussed it recently with 5 Reasons Your Resume Doesn’t Stand Out From the Crowd.
1. You have a generic “experience” section.
You can describe your work experience in a unique and professional way rather than labeling this section “work experience” or “professional experience.” Instead of this generic label, change this section to something more specific to the position. If the position is for an event planner or for a local nonprofit, include “Event Planning Experience” or “Nonprofit Experience.”
2. Focusing on responsibilities instead of accomplishments.
Instead making a bullet list of day-to-day activities, add more details and focus on what you accomplished. The Muse supports this in 43 Resume Tips That Will Help You Get Hired, by stating that an individual should use as many facts, numbers, and statistics as you can. Instead of saying “managed customer mailing list” say “Compiled and maintained a mailing list of 12,000 customers, the art center’s largest ever.”
3. Show it, don’t just say it.
Do you consider yourself a “go-getter” and “think outside the box”? Both are great attributes to have, but many recruiters receive resumes from “go-getters who think outside the box.” Instead of using these overused buzzwords, show the recruiters how you are a “go-getter” and how you “think outside of the box.”
4. Get a Life.
What makes you different from the other candidates that applied to the same position? When building your resume, show your personality and what interest you have outside work. You can also switch the “Skills” section to “Skills and Interest,” allowing you to show what your personal interest are. Just keep in mind that the “Skills and interest” should still be relevant to the position you’re applying to. Mashable also suggest this in 4 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out by saying that resumes are about showing your personality and interest. You can be professional and still come across as friendly and open.
5. You didn’t include a cover letter.
Cover letters can be annoying, but they are the part of a resume that allows your personality to shine through. They are the introduction to your resume and letting the company know who you are. Forbes suggests tips in 6 Secrets To Writing A Great Cover Letter. By not including a cover letter, your well-qualified resume may get passed up. Sometimes a cover letter is required; a potential employer is not likely to be interested in someone who cannot follow simple directions.
Authored by James Zackal and shared with permission from ThirdSectorToday/TopNonProfits. For more great tips, follow the PNP Staffing Group blog.