The vast numbers of student who graduate out of college and the university each year are like swarm of bees leaving the bee hive and aiming to suck nectar out of the same flower. This is why it is important to leave a long lasting impression of your qualifications through your resume. It is the first thing your recruiter takes a look at before deciding to meet you. Now that you know the job market is not only tough but harsh too, the question remains: how do I ensure my resume comes out top amidst the big piles of other resumes?
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Not to worry, our 8 key resume writing hacks will help you bag that job you so desire.
Are you ready? Now, let us begin:
1. Lay Emphasis on Your Achievements
Everybody has history of success, failures, strengths and weaknesses. But in resume writing, you should focus on your most excellent success since college through the years you spent at the university. Ensure you outline the accomplishment you achieved in every position you held in your resume. Here, numbers is your best chance so implement them wisely to measure your success and track record.
2. A good formatting is the Best Impression
Your accomplishments might be significance, but even so, if the format is not a perfect one, these accomplishments might be ignored. Make it very easy for recruiters to skim through. Why? Because they have about a thousand more résumé’s they need to take a look at; none of them will waste time. As a graduate (college or university), it is understandable that you might not have a long work history but more skills (take advantage of this and learn lots of skills). This type of resume is known as a functional resume because it focuses more on skill abilities rather than experience and work. Ensure you outline all the necessary details that you can bring to the table.
3. You Should Proofread as Much as Possible
Never get tired: Proofread some more
The importance of proofreading can never be overemphasized. It would be very painful if you miss a shot at your dream job because of things like bad grammar, spelling errors or spacing mistakes. It is highly recommended that you ask a friend, mentor, family or professor (or teacher) to help you with this- just to be double sure.
After they are done, give yourself some days away from it. Then pick it up to examine it one more time. Trust me, your outlook will be different this time. Avoid the temptation to hit the send button after your first typing
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4. Ensure It is simple and Direct
It is a known fact that a lot of recruiters usually skin through job seekers resume. For them to spend quality time on your resume, you have to make it simple. Avoid the use of buzzwords- most recruiters may have no knowledge of these terms- and this will badly affect you. So, keep it real simple so you can get that interview you so desire.
5. Create a custom resume: Personalize the Resume to a Specific Potential Employer
You are probably thinking: that’s a lot of work; can’t I just avoid these hacks? It is essential that you take your time to write a custom resume for each organization you apply to. To achieve this, you need to carry out proper research on company you writing for. This will automatically stand your file from the rest.
6. Design a cover letter: Attach a Cover Letter
Include a cover letter
A cover letter increases your chances of bagging a position. To show professionalism, it is advisable that you add a cover letter with your credentials when sending it to the potential employer. You should avoid this if the employer doesn’t want this. By going extra mile, it shows that you are dedicated and have gone extra mile to carry out detailed research on the organization. This speeds up the whole process.
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7. Put the Gem At The Top: Education Should Be At The Top
If you are a fresh graduate, you need to position education at the top but if you are an experienced person, it can be positioned at the bottom. Positioning it at the top displays your academic qualification and shows that you are a fresh graduate. You can list all of your academic honours and extracurricular activities.
It gets better:
If your GPA is 3.0 or above that, make sure to include it, this will not only guarantee you get the job but increase the attention your resume gets. If by chance your major GPA is higher than the overall, then use it instead.
8. Make it count: Make Your Menial Jobs Count
It will do you good to include all the seasonal and temporal jobs you did. But be careful, not describing them the right way can cost you the job. However, when implemented correctly, these experiences show that you have a strong work ethic and is independent.
Note: if the experience you possess is not related to the role you applying for, then do not go into specific details. Just outline the most interesting parts of the job. Outline them as skills acquired, e.g. time management, customer service, communications skills etc.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Balogun Owomide has a huge passion for spreading motivation, business and personal finance. I often write on my UK Personal Finance blog, a finance blog on topics ranging from motivation, saving and making money, startup ideas, to small business creation, marketing and franchise opportunities. You can reach me on Facebook at Balogun Owomide.
