Applying for jobs can be a stressful process and can leave you feeling lost and confused about how you can stand out amongst the piles of other applicants with similar experience as yourself.
Applying for jobs can be a stressful process and can leave you feeling lost and confused about how you can stand out amongst the piles of other applicants with similar experience as yourself. Making your application stand out is not necessarily about having a flashy layout, nor about using big words. It is about showcasing your unique abilities in a concise, easy-to-read way that will grab the recruiting manager's attention. To help get you started, we have compiled our top three ways to make your application stand out so that you can land that interview.
1. Tailor Your Application
It is easy to want to build a one-size-fits-all resume so that you can apply to as many jobs out there as possible. However, these resumes often are very generic with copied and pasted set answers and usually list vague skills. Unfortunately, resumes like this are more likely to be overlooked and tossed aside by recruiters. It is essential to tailor your resume to suit the specific job position you are applying for. Tailoring your resume is not as hard as it sounds. You first need to identify what specific qualifications and skills the recruiter is looking for. Next, you will need to provide evidence that you have those specific qualifications and skills. Finally, you will want to compare your resume with the job description to see how well they match up. Tailoring your resume will require more time and effort but remind yourself it is about quality over quantity. You will get better results by handing out a few good tailored resumes than fifty generic ones.
2. Showcase Your Personality
"Hiring the right people takes time, the right questions and a healthy dose of curiosity. What do you think is the most important factor when building your team? For us, it's personality."-Richard Branson
Adding more of your personality to your resume is another way to stand out. One easy way is by making good use of your hobbies and interests. Your hobbies and interests are great resume boosters because they can showcase transferable skills such as teamwork and creativity. Additionally, your hobbies and interests can help the recruiting manager see if you will be a good fit for the company's culture. Make sure to be honest about the hobbies you incorporate on your resume but also be mindful of being selective about which hobbies and interests you have that best suit what the company/recruiter is looking for.
3. Proofread and Refine
You want your resume to be the best representation of you and your credibility. Avoiding having grammar and spelling mistakes on our resume is one way to ensure you are presenting yourself in the best possible light to potential recruiting managers. It is important to know that most recruiters will initially only look at your resume for roughly 5-10 seconds. If they see multiple errors or if your resume is too long, it may leave a poor impression. Your best way to combat this is by having a thorough proofreading and refining process for your resume.
First, you will want to make sure you read your resume a few times over several days. You will notice new errors or things to fix each time you come back to it.
Next, you will want to get at least one other person to proofread your resume for you. Try to select someone who has a good eye for grammar and spelling errors.
Finally, it would help if you read your resume to someone else out loud. Doing this will help you detect any awkward or overly lengthy sections on your resume.
Following these three steps will help you build a more impressive resume that is sure to stand out amongst the crowd. Remember to take your time when writing your resume and do not feel discouraged if you do not see results right away. Your resume will constantly be improving and adapting over time, just like you.