I’ve already given advice on how to make a resume competitive by giving some real life examples of how I changed my friend’s resume. There are so many factors that go into a job offer: A killer resume and cover letter, a great interview, a satisfactory online reputation checkup, etc.

Last week, I went over how to manage your online reputation (including using a service to do it for you). I wanted to go over a few more ways to really tweak your resume. My last post on resume tweaking went over things like putting quantifiable results instead of qualitative results and using more precise language. This post will be a little more general, figuring you are about to apply for a job.

Get Your Resume the Attention It Deserves

I used to review resumes on a daily basis at one of my old jobs. I was directly in charge of hiring candidates for a supervisory role in a sales and operations position.

1) Format is everything.

The first thing a hiring manager sees before they even have a chance to learn about your qualifications is the format of your resume. Is it cramped? Does it utilize white space? Is the font incredibly tiny?

If I can’t read through your resume easily and quickly, I’m not wasting my time. It needs to be reader-friendly and attention grabbing.

2) Utilize keywords.

The number one rule of retail is location. The number one rule of internet search is keyword optimization.

Most resumes are added to a candidate database once they are submitted that allow a hiring manager to run searches and queries. If you submit your resume to a popular job board like Monster or LinkedIn, the same holds true.

Make sure to utilize keywords that are relevant to your work experience, accomplishments, and goals. So, Self-motivator would not be a powerful keyword to use, but Union Contract Negotiation would be very strong.

3) Tell me your core knowledge.

This is the perfect way to maximize what I said above in regards to keywords.

Have a small section dedicated to your core knowledge and key skills. This is the perfect way to drop a lot of industry keywords. Then, when you disperse the same keywords randomly throughout the resume, your keyword density increases and heightens your chances of being displayed in a search.

4) Introduce Yourself With Pizzazz!

Whether you have an introductory statement/objective, a cover letter, or an email with a resume attached, you need to create a lasting impact from the first second.

Your statement needs to be tailored to the job you are applying for, it needs to sell your best attributes, and needs to create an OOMPH!

If all of that is done well, I will read your resume. ;)

5) Tailor Your Resume

If you submit the same resume to every position you apply to, the hiring manager can tell. The resume should be a perfect fit for the job you are applying to.

List your duties at your previous job that are MOST applicable to the job you are applying for. Choose the accomplishments that are most suited for the job. Ignore the white noise.

6) Accomplishments and Contributions

When I said list the duties that are most applicable above, that should be if you have nothing else to say.

Ideally, you should list accomplishments and contributions. Business is about what you can do for me. What value would you add to my organization?

Pretend you are applying to my company to be a salesman. Knowing that you made sales calls is meh. But knowing that you made cold calls with a 25% close rate for an average sale of $3,400 is a whole other picture. The latter can be easily translatable to what you could do for me.

Which person sounds more hirable? The person who made sales calls or the person who closed on 25% of their customers for an average of $3,400 each? I think the choice is obvious!

7) Market Impactful Items Towards the Top

I read from top to bottom. Most people do. If you put the most powerful parts of your resume towards the bottom, you are lessening the chance of the hiring manager getting to that point.

You want to put your knowledge, skills, and abilities as close to the top as possible. Creating a powerful career summary and/or a core strengths section is a great way to grab someone’s attention using as little space as possible.

Marketing is Everything

If it isn’t obvious, a lot of this has to do with marketing. A person can submit two resumes with the same exact experience and one of them can go right to the garbage while the other goes to the top of the pile.

Using a format that is high impact, utilizing keywords and content positioning, and tailoring your resume can make all the difference.

If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to post a comment!