A decent position always requires a decent resume. First of all, it should effectively present an applicant – so that the person stands out from the crowd of other ambitious challengers.
Employers today hire those who distinguish not only with necessary skills, but also with the ability to present themselves well. Let’s take a look at 5 tips that will help to enhance your resume.
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Tip #1. Visual matters: templates and fonts are now trending
When tens and hundreds of people apply for your dream job, it’s important to be noticeable. Personal charm comes a little later than a resume, so it’s crucial to present an applicant correctly and as brightly as possible.
It’s better to put on hold resumes made in Word. The CV should be visually appealing, structured, and easy to read. By searching “CV maker” in Google, one can choose a ready-made template. Canva website also has hundreds of unique ideas on how to make a memorable resume in minutes. By applying a suitable template and transforming it, a future employee can create an exclusive document containing all the requirements.
By the way, it’s a great option for freelancers: if there is a huge number of projects in the portfolio, a person can delve into timeline infographics, business plan presentations, and even pie charts.
Please note, it is not advisable to use the Times New Roman font – it looks archaic. An applicant can use multiple fonts to make a resume look more fun. There are thousands of beautiful free or inexpensive fonts available on the Internet. So, there is no excuse for sticking to the same old-fashioned Arial or Calibri.
Tip #2. Using company colors can be beneficial
Using corporate colors will show that the prospective employee has done the research and is interested in the company. It will also show creative, out-of-the-box thinking that will help to stand out from the crowd.
Tip #3. Achievements are prior to responsibilities
An employer hires a candidate with an expectation of the value they will bring to the company. Therefore, an applicant should always focus on the results. For example, when applying for a sales manager vacancy, managers don’t want to know that the candidate sent emails and made calls. The number of successful deals and how they affected the company’s income is much more sensitive information.
Personal qualities also need to be supported by measurable results. If applicants write that they are leaders, it’s better to specify that they have fostered five more leaders among colleagues. If they are vigorous, the largest number of sales in the team can be noted.
Infographics usage is also a crucial step in creating a perfect resume. It shows the ability to work with data structuring.
It’s advisable to divide the resume layout into several blocks and place diagrams, charts, grids, etc., whether it is a list of awards and certificates or the history of advance in office.
Graphic icons will also help to represent different skills or hobbies (there are lots of them available at Flaticon).
The main thing is not to go over the top. Neutral and minimal colors will make an ultra-professional look.
Tip #4. Links to your social media accounts are a must
Recruiters will most likely look for an applicant’s name on the Internet to get an idea of their personality and experience. So sharing links to social media will only make the process easier for them
It’s especially useful for copywriters, content managers, motion designers, and all those who share their developments on Instagram or blog.
Tip #5. Trying something new would do no harm
Today, recruiters expect candidates to think outside the box. So making a creative CV, designing a personal website, shooting a video, or recording an audio resume will create a sensation.
Unusual CVs are memorable, but still risky. On the one hand, an applicant may seem like a creative thinker; on the other – a pretentious outie. It depends on the recruiter.
What is the most effective way to create a resume?
A plain paper resume is a classic that never goes out of style. But today, a new trend is video resumes. Practice shows that a resume filmed on camera or with a webcam recorder is one of the most effective tools for self-presentation, allowing people to overtake other candidates and achieve the desired position.
But there are a few rules. The video should be:
- Recruiters don’t have much time to watch long movies. It’s better to shoot a video that is one to two minutes long.
- It would be great to list any important information about the candidate’s education and work experience, and pay special attention to achievements. Jokes and conversations about natural abilities can be redundant.
- Moderately creative. Tricky transitions or poetry can deter recruiters. On the other hand, a calm and detailed video with some simple graphic elements, like highlighting digits, names, and brands will hit the spot. A future employee can add some relaxing audio tracks.
By the way, it’s better to add subtitles to the video. Perhaps the resume will find a recruiter in a café, public transport, or any other place where it is inconvenient to turn on the sound. To make all the adjustments to the ready video resume, pick powerful yet free video editor.
Summary
A recruiter can review up to 300 resumes per day. The focus is fading away, so eight seconds is usually enough to determine if the candidate is interesting.
So applicants should try to create an attractive, not stereotyped resume to definitely be noticed and appreciated.
