Careers

How to prep your resume to stand out in a crowd

Posted on | November 28, 2011 | No Comments

Whether you are a recent grad or a seasoned professional, let’s face it, a resume’ is your key to a career. There are those that believe “I don’t need a resume; I have a LinkedIn” and others who believe they only need a resume’. Traditionally, a resume was the only thing an employer required to assess basic skills and efficiencies. However, the job market is fragmenting and becoming more competitive. Footballer Greg Akcelrod was quoted saying, “I am just like 99% of my friends in France, who say on their resume they can speak fluent English. In reality, they can’t even count up to three.” Well it really accentuates the need to integrate other aspects of your life in your CV.

Face the digital world If you haven’t embraced the fact that one, you need a digital copy of your resume’ and two, you are going to be “Googled”, do so now. These are just two basic screening methods for employers; make sure you Google yourself before you send out your resume. If you don’t show up in search, there may be a red flag, depending on what job you’ve claimed to work. If you claim “I’m a social media marketing extraordinaire” and don’t return any Google results, something won’t fit for the employer and they won’t bother to piece it together. Include Links Include relative links in your resume. If you have any content that you are proud of that is published on the web, make sure you link to that. The more interactive your resume, the more it will stand out.

Don’t be afraid- be bold and creative Holding your creative side back and constructing a boilerplate resume’ will tell an employer, “I’m boring,” and “I can’t market myself.” Keep your resume fresh, clean and symbolic of who you are. Optimize Make sure you optimize your results; if your name returns results or group affiliations that may negatively impact your job search, you need to change this. One easy way to do this is social networking. Join LinkedIn, Twitter, Foursquare, Facebook, and make these accounts public. Since these domains hold such a high authority, they will be indexed quickly, returning relevant search to your employers. Make sure that you are engaging on these sites; however, it won’t impress an employer if you only have one job filled out on your LinkedIn account. K.I.S.S.

Keep It Simple Stupid. Don’t try to make your resume more complicated than it needs to be. Keep your sentences concise, highlighting your accomplishments. You don’t have to say every single thing you’ve ever done at your job, just 3-5 relevant bullets. Highlight unique aspects about your personality and passions in a separate section listed as “hobbies” or “personal interests.” Take a Step Back If you already have an existing resume, may be it is more difficult for you to realize how to make your resume stand out. Don’t pigeonhole yourself in to thinking that arrangements need to be made a certain way. Take a step back and look at your resume from a distance, and consult a few external sources for advice. Following these simple steps, you will be heading in the right direction to get the job of your dreams. Make sure you integrate and back up everything you claim on your resume. Good Luck!

Matt Krautstrunk is an expert writer on office phone systems based in San Diego, California. He writes extensively for an online resource that provides expert advice on purchasing and outsourcing decisions for small business owners and entrepreneurs such as VoIP service at Resource Nation.

Category: Career Tips

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