Your resume is your primary gateway to get shortlisted for your dream job. A resume can earn you an opportunity to appear for an interview which can later turn into a job offer. And to get selected for the further stages in the selection process, you must craft an impressive resume.
The times have changed and so has the job market. It has become difficult to get a job in such a crisis. However, without getting demotivated, you need to gear up and do all the possible things that will help you get your dream job in such tough times.
The pandemic has introduced new ways of the recruitment process. But one thing that remains constant is your resume. Despite the change in the recruitment process, the basic selection criteria are the same and that is shortlisting based on resume.
Thus, crafting an impressive resume can still help you to land up a job. To make things easier for you, here are a few resume hacks that will help you land an interview in these tough times.
How does shortlisting based on your resume take place?
A resume is a document that reflects on your career objectives, educational background, skills, personal information, and achievements.
Many organizations use applicant tracking software or ATS to scan your resume. These systems scan resumes of numerous applicants based on a few keywords related to the job requirements.
It takes approximately 6 seconds for an ATS to scan a resume. To get through these systems you need to ensure that your resume follows a specific format and has relevant keywords in it.
You need to ensure a balance between effective resume writing and eye-catching resume formats to help grab the attention of the recruiter in this tough time. Keep it simple and professional, yet attractive. This will give you an edge in this tough time.
Here are 6 Resume Hacks that can increase your chances of getting an interview call:
1. Use bullet points and Header:
The interviewer might find it difficult or boring to read large paragraphs.
Therefore break the paragraphs into bullet points and shorter lines so that resume can be easily understandable.
Add headings to divide the sections and use the appropriate line spacing between the sections.
You can divide the section into headings and subheadings like 'Education details', 'Experience', 'Achievements', and 'Skills.'
Make sure that bullet points are meaningful and avoid using 'I' and 'we' in the bullet points. To make your resume more effective, you can also use the table to add your points.
2. Optimize space:
The initial part of the page includes your qualification, training, internships, relevant job experience, and attended workshops if any.
After that mention your current or latest job profile, certifications, all acquired skills, and important accreditation data.
Make the first page of your resume powerful and attractive because the recruiter may only read the first page. Create a strong summary that captures the recruiter's attention and makes you a unique candidate.
3. Add relevant information:
Adding unnecessary information can reduce your chances of getting shortlisted or selected.
You can skip the school time awards, irrelevant training certificates, and job experiences. The recruiter is interested in your latest qualification and most important achievements in your career.
You can skip adding sports trophies and prizes won before your 12th grade. Add NGO certificates if any or certificates of social work that you might have done.
Check the job profile and make sure that the skills mentioned in the job profile match with the skills mentioned in your resume.
Add the relevant skills and experiences. This will increase your chances of getting shortlisted.
4. One-page resume:
The recruiter doesn't spend time going through each page of your resume, so your resume should preferably be 1 paged or a maximum of two pages.
In general, the length of the resume usually depends upon the years of experience.
You can add up all the information on a single page.
Make use of professional templates that will help you with managing space and keep it clear and concise.
To create a stunning resume, get a free downloadable resume template here.
A Saddleback College Resume Survey found that the companies prefer:
One-page Resume- 47.7%
Two-page Resume- 11.4%
Depends on the level of the position- 34.1%
No preference- 6.8%
5. Format Well:
Use the resume template and design your resume professionally. Consider the following points while formatting your resume:
You can use the serif or sans serif font, font size 12 point, and 1 point line spacing
Margins and spacing should be even, with no spelling or typo errors
Avoid using cursive fonts, handwriting fonts, or other decorative fonts
Avoid making use of images, colors, objects on your resume as they may appear distractive
Use bullet points instead of paragraphs
Try to keep your resume one page only
Convert your word file into PDF before sending it
6. Add Experience that matters:
Check the essential skills mentioned in the job profile and add the experience related to them.
It can be attractive if you add every work experience but it will make your resume lengthy and a little too wordy.
So try to add experience relevant to the job profile. You can also add skills that you must have acquired from your current job. This can help your resume to stand out from others.
Making use of the above-mentioned tips can surely increase your chances of getting shortlisted for the job interview.
Along with preparing for an interview, it is very important to craft an attractive resume. Understanding the importance of a resume in the selection process will help you draft an impressive resume.
A resume is your first impression that you create on the recruiter. You need to make sure that you imprint a good impression on the employer.
Expressing your skills and experiences with the help of a one-paged document can be difficult.
However, with the above-mentioned tips, you can take the time to craft a resume that will stand out from others.
So, have you started crafting your resume yet? Let us know in the comments.
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