Stop whatever you are doing, and do me a favor. Count to 10.
Is it quick and easy? Well, this is how much time an employer takes to review resumes and decide whether to proceed or put them in the “Rejected” pile.
In today’s competitive job industry, writing a resume that impresses employers and helps you land your dream job is certainly not easy.
From compressing your whole professional life into one page to making it exceptional and exciting, your resume must be exciting and engaging to cause a lasting first impression on hiring managers.
In today’s article, we will highlight the 10 easy ways to make your resume stand out digitally and lead it to the “Accepted” list, helping you achieve professional success.
1. Provide Scan QR Code Feature
Adding a QR code on the top of your resume can not only boost your authenticity but also bring an exciting and advanced element to your resume.
Your potential recruiter will scan the QR code on your resume and access your information, including your LinkedIn profile, contact details, websites, portfolios, social media handles, blogs, certifications, references, downloadable resumes, and more.
QR codes provide an easy and quick way for employers to access additional details digitally using the most precise method. Moreover, with this feature, you can also save a lot of space on your resume and use it for other important details and sections.
2. Use Relevant Keywords
Companies receive hundreds of resumes every day, and to sort the best candidates out of the pile, they have started implementing an AI-based system, the Applicant Tracking System, for reviewing their resumes. This is exactly where relevant keyword optimization can help you highlight your resume out of all the potential applicants and get the job.
Keywords are phrases relevant to your industry, job positions, skills, and experience, and employers and ATS bots consider them a sign of authenticity. Research your industry’s related keywords and add them to your summary, project description, skills section, and experience. Moreover, incorporate these keywords
3. Make it Visually Appealing
A well-designed resume is, undoubtedly, always appreciated by the employers. However, bringing a creative and visually appealing element to your resume can boost engagement and make it stand out from your competitors.
From formatting to section placement, ensure that your resume is simple, clear, and attractive. The following are the aspects of making your resume look creative, clear, and captivating.
- Use professional font styles like Georgia, Times New Roman, or Calibri.
- Choose an appropriate and easily readable font size. Size 12 is commonly used.
- Use a minimal yet appealing template for your resume.
- Use black and white as the basics for your resume, with a simple third color like blue or green.
- Highlight skills, certifications, and other important aspects with the third color.
4. Avoid Difficult Words and Long Sentences
Your resume is the first impression your employers will have, so you have to make it clear, concise, and direct. Therefore, use shorter sentences and easy words to make it easy for recruiters to read and navigate.
Moreover, avoid using excessive commas and special symbols in your sentences, especially in your introductions. Make it relevant, simple, and engaging. You can also use bullet points or numberings in your CV to grab the reader’s attention, convey your information, and highlight your features effectively.
5. Add Short Video Introduction
Adding a short video introduction to your resume is a powerful strategy for showcasing your personality, highlighting your skills, validating your industry experience, and elevating your CV from your competition.
For the video feature, make sure it is short—no more than 2 minutes—and dressed professionally. It should also have a clear and suitable background and deliver an impactful and compelling message. Your expressions, language, words of choice, relevance, body language, and posture can also greatly contribute to your overall performance.
6. Highlight your Achievements, not Responsibilities
Avoid crowding your resume with your job responsibilities. Your recruiters don’t want to know your everyday tasks. Instead, use the valuable space of your CV to highlight your achievements and landmarks of your professional life.
Use industry metrics like revenue growth, increased productivity, sales rate, cost savings, and elevated branding. Moreover, add your client’s testimonials, case studies, research, challenges, and project descriptions in your resume. You can also use numbers and references, making them more authentic and spotlighted.
7. Do not Overcrowd your Resume
Apply the rule of “Less is More” while building your resume. Keep your CV simple and precise. Do not add details that may overcrowd or are irrelevant to your potential job position, such as hobbies, personal information, or information not associated with your industry.
Moreover, avoid using fluff-based paragraphs as they may convey a lack of organization or attention-to-detail message to your recruiters. Make your content direct and free from distractions so your employer can focus on your skills and experience only instead of experiencing diversions.
8. Provide Interactive Links
Adding interactive links to your CV can help your recruiters experience your work experience and skills firsthand instead of just reading about them theoretically. It showcases how your skills align with the needs of their job positions and how you can be their best candidate. Here’s what type of links you can add in your resume:
- Website
- Portfolio
- Linkedin Profile
- Social media Accounts
- Certifications
- Projects
- Articles or Blogs
- Published Researches
9. Proofread it Twice
Nothing is a bigger turn-off for a potential recruiter than finding grammatical and spelling mistakes in the CV of a candidate. Moreover, such basic mistakes also demonstrate that you don’t take your application seriously and don’t deserve an interview.
Therefore, take your time to comprehensively proofread your resume. You can use online tools for fixing typing, spelling, and grammatical errors. Read it aloud to identify irregular or awkward sentences and phrases. Get your resume proofread by your friends and family, too.
10. Use an Online Resume Builder
Making a creative, professional, engaging, and comprehensive yet precise resume from an empty page is quite challenging. So, instead of starting from scratch, you can use online resume-building tools to create a concise and relevant resume for your dream job.
There are many online templates like Hubspot, Canva, Teal, Adobe, and more that provide innovative designs for resumes that stand out and highlight in the crowd of other applicants. These tools not only save time and effort but also provide expert tips for the best experience.
Conclusion
Resumes are more than a document and hold a prominent impact on your professional life. From showcasing your professional life skills and achievements to possessing the power to provide your dream job, it is the first impression your recruiters will have.
So, instead of struggling with your job search and getting into the rejected pile with your mediocre CV, follow the above 10 easy ways to make your resume stand out digitally and make your application experience flawless and effective.
