Never underestimate the power of a great resume. Being able to present your best talents on a single sheet of paper (or maybe two or three) is an incredibly important tool for getting the attention of a prospective employer. No matter how qualified, charming, or wonderful you may be in person, it takes a great resume to land an interview for that job you want.
But landing an interview isn't easy--especially when you're competing against a lot of other candidates. Statistics compiled by Glassdoor for Employers revealed that on average, every corporate job attracts 250 resumes, but only 4 to 6 of these people will be called in for an interview.
So, how can you build your resume in a way that will land you more interviews? Here are 5 things you can do right now.
1. Show off your skills in the layout
If you're a graphic designer, flourish your resume with the best Illustrator and Photoshop skills you've got. If you're a writer, you better triple check your grammar and descriptive blurbs. If you work in tech, make sure you keep things clean and streamlined. Show your potential employer that you already know the rules of the road.
2. Customize your resume for each job applicationWhile it's not absolutely necessary, it can be helpful to customize your resume for each job you apply for in order to give pertinent skills slightly more emphasis than others. This is something that can be done in any part of the application--including, but not limited to, the cover letter as well.
3. Use keywords and buzzwords liberally
There are always certain words that catch an industry's eye, especially those always looking for the next big thing. For creative, for example, being a "tastemaker" is incredibly important. For those who code, make sure you list the languages you can write in. Find the words that are hot for your own respective industry--and make good use of them.
4. Try to give real statistics
While fluff is great, at the end of the day nothing can beat cold, hard facts. Websites and platforms, for example, depend on viewership. Stores depend on revenue. Studies depend on statistics. Try to include as much real data in your resume as you can--the increased sales you brought about, the annual savings you generated, and so forth.
5. Do not generalize
Being well rounded might have been great when you were applying for college, but it's not necessarily the case for applying for a job. Employers are looking for people who are specialized, and who have a knack for something and pursue it endlessly. Show them through keywords and pinpointed descriptions that you do.
