If you’re looking to level up your career and pursue something different, you’re not alone. More than half of all Americans are currently considering a career change after a two-year pandemic has caused many to re-think their priorities.
While the labor market is tighter than ever, that does not mean you can walk into your dream job. You’ll need to prepare the right application to convince your potential employer that you are the right candidate.
The most crucial component for this is your resume. Read on to find out exactly how to make a resume stand out and land your dream job.
1. How to Make a Resume Stand Out Visually
One of our top resume tips is to focus on the visuals. If your resume is eye-catching, appealing, and easy to read, you will instantly stand out from the others. All information should be presented clearly, and your resume should look distinct, sleek, and visually engaging.
For this, you can use the best resume builder online for free from Adobe, which offers hundreds of professional-grade templates that you can use to take your resume to the next level.
2. Always Be Concise
When writing a resume, you must keep it short and sweet. All types of resumes should be two pages max. If you are a new graduate or very early in your working life, one page is enough. If it is any longer than this, your prospective employer will probably not want to read it. Only include information that is strictly necessary.
3. Tailor Your Resume to the Job
This brings us to our next question – what should be included on a resume? At a basic level, your education, relevant work experience, and personal details (such as your contact information) are needed. When writing a resume, especially if you’re in a specialized field like construction project management, it’s essential to tailor both your resume and cover letter to showcase industry-specific skills and accomplishments. For instance, when writing a Construction Project Manager cover letter, highlight your experience managing budgets, ensuring safety compliance, and meeting project deadlines. This approach ensures potential employers see your resume as not only visually appealing but also directly relevant to the role you’re aiming for.
What matters most is tailoring your resume to the job you are applying for. Do not use a single resume for every job you apply for. Employers will notice if you are doing this and will not bother to give you a callback.
4. List Accomplishments, Not Responsibilities
When building a resume, it is not enough to list your responsibilities in previous roles. You must demonstrate how you contributed to the role and what you achieved. This way, your employer will know that you have something to offer that other candidates do not have.
For example, instead of saying that you ran a social media campaign for your high school, you should focus on how many people the campaign reached and what you did to ensure maximum impact.
5. Edit and Proofread
Finally, do not send off your resume as soon as you have written it. You must read, re-read, and read it one more time to ensure that are no errors or spelling mistakes at all.
59% of recruiters will reject a candidate outright if there are spelling errors on the resume.
You cannot afford to make these silly mistakes if you are serious about changing your career for the better. Ideally, you should also get someone else to read your resume before you send it off.
Thrive in the Digital Economy
Knowing how to make a resume stand out means knowing the skills that employers are looking for in the current digital economy. No matter your education, we can help you build the skills you need to build the perfect resume.
In our media Blog, you can find daily tips on digital marketing, content creation, and other high-demand digital skills. When it comes to your career, we have got you covered.