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Rock Star Resume Exceptional Guidelines to Land You the Job.
Rock Star Resume: If you really want to get hired, you need to learn how to draft a winning resume. On this platform, I’m going to focus on those who are coming in for service roles that do not directly align with the vacancies the agency currently has to offer. Do you want to write a rockstar resume? Keep reading.
Recruiters are the diplomats of employment. Their job is twofold. To find the best talent for their clients. In essence, they have two clients – the candidate and the brand.
Whereas some recruitment agencies focus more on the number of candidates available at any given time, a boutique agency such as Directory focusses on the quality as well.
The candidate screening and intake are thorough. This is because the client on the brand side has placed their trust in the agency to minimize risk for them. It is up to the recruiter to save the brand time and money but shortlisting the best candidate for their brand and advertised role.
Here are some guidelines and red flags from the senior recruitment team at Directory.
1. Tailor Your Resume to Each New Job
Along similar lines, you won’t have much luck sending off dozens of the same resume to lots of different employers. Instead of treating your resume as a form letter, tailor it to each new role.
“One of the most common resume mistakes … is creating one single resume and sending it out to every hiring company they can find,” said career expert Jason Hill, founder of Sound Advice. “I call this the ‘shotgun approach.’ Do not do this.”
Instead, research the company and read the job description closely. Figure out exactly what the organization is looking for, then reflect those qualifications in your resume.
While changing up your resume for every application is time-consuming, it’s well worth the effort. It might help to keep a master list of all your experiences to refer back to. That way, you can keep track of which experiences you’re including and which ones you’re leaving off depending on the job.
“Make a master resume (a huge list of every single accomplishment, skill, talent, etc. that you have) and select whatever is relevant to the one specific job you’re applying for,” said Hill.
2. Identify Keywords in Job Postings.
If you’re just about to write a resume, the best way to get started is to carefully read job postings that interest you and are suitable for your profession. If you’re applying for different jobs, take some time to study each job description and identify keywords and phrases that the recruiter is looking for in an applicant. And then, make sure to include them in your resume where relevant.
For example, if you’re applying for a job as a Nurse, the HR manager might list keywords like “assessment”, “management”, “care”, “clinical”, or “patients” in the job description.
Pay close attention to what’s listed in the “Requirements” and “Qualifications” section. If you have the required skills, consider adding the keywords, right in the “Skills” and/or “Experience” section of your resume.
3. Think Of Your Resume as a Marketing Tool
It’s easy to think of your resume as a summary of your work experience. But a resume isn’t just about listing your professional history. Rather, it’s a strategic tool for marketing your individual brand.
Consider the perspective of a recruiter. The recruiter is seeking a candidate who fits a job description and can bring value to an organization. They don’t have time to delve into your resume and figure out who you are, so you need to connect the dots for them.
As you build a resume, think strategically. Consider what you’ve accomplished in the past and what you can offer in the future. Make sure your resume tells a clear story about who you are as a professional.
When it comes to the job hunt, you need to sell yourself as the best candidate for the role.
4. Format Your Resume Wisely.
No matter how well-polished your resume is, a potential employer may not read it thoroughly the first time through. Remember that a resume gets scanned for no more than 20 seconds.
And if it contains over 2 pages of poorly organized, hard-to-read information, your chances of getting invited for a job interview will shrink even further.
- Use the proper, logical format with wide margins; and clean and concise headings
- Help guide the reader’s eye by using bold and italic typeface (Times New Roman is a popular font choice for CVs)
- Use bullets and numbered lists to point out important details, like your achievements and skills
5. Use a Template That Suits You.
There are a whole plethora of resume templates to choose from, making it difficult to choose just one. But to make a good first impression (and a long-lasting one, too), it’s best to pick a simple yet visually attractive template. These days, being conservative and minimalistic is better than going for vibrant colors and chaotic visuals.
The way you present information is also important. For this, you can go for a chronological, reverse-chronological, or a targeted type of resume template. Whatever the case, choose one that best highlights your strengths as a candidate.
Don’t know how to get started? An online resume builder may just be your answer. You can find a lot of services that offer them for free or for a small fee, at Resume.
6. Focus On Your Achievements.
Recruiters and HR managers, particularly those in technical fields like computer science and engineering, look for candidates who can help their company solve a problem or accomplish a specific need.
That said, a candidate can’t be the solution to their problem if they don’t state how they’ve solved similar issues from previous job experiences or situations.
- Do away with generic descriptions of the position you had or applied for
- Focus on the actions you took in a particular situation at work – NOT what your job was
- For each achievement you include, ask yourself: ‘How did this benefit me and the company?’
- Write down one or two first-line job descriptions, and then list your achievements
- Only list down achievements that are unique to – and done by – you, not what someone else did
Apart from achievements, highlighting key responsibilities is just as important, but don’t make a list of your daily workload. Focus only on those that will make you stand out as the ideal candidate.
7. Curate a Sleek, Uncluttered Design
Another way to impress a recruiter right off the bat is with a sleek, easily digestible resume design. Don’t be afraid to cut out irrelevant experiences for the sake of improving readability. White space can go a long way toward making a resume more appealing.
Use a simple font such as Times New Roman or Arial in 10-, 11-, or 12-point size. If you’re seeking a creative position, you could benefit from incorporating a unique design element into your resume. Otherwise, stick to a simple, elegant design.
“You have one minute or less to make a stellar first impression,” said Hill. “Utilize bullet points, short paragraphs, measurable achievements, and industry-specific keywords to stand out above the rest. If it’s important, it’s your responsibility to make sure the recruiter sees it.”
8. Make Your Resume An Interesting Read.
The tone of your CV must not only be professional, but upbeat and enthusiastic, as well. Your strongest and most relevant points as a professional must come first, using positive action words like “managed”, “completed”, and “developed”, among others. Make use of superlatives like “best”, “top”, and “highest”, as well.
Using such high-impact words to showcase your achievements is a key component to making your resume highly compelling for the one who reads it.
Applying for a job can be a long and arduous process. There are many steps to take – ones that require careful consideration on your part.
Writing a rockstar resume is just the first stage of this process, but it’s a crucial one that will secure an interview if done right. Hopefully, the tips and tricks above can help put you ahead of the competition.
Share this with your friends too on social media. Best of luck!
EDU Team.
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