Remember your resume's primary purpose is to capture an interview and get your foot in the door. It is the tool you use to sell your transferable skills, experience and education. No matter how qualified you may be, none of it matters if your resume can’t demonstrate it on paper. Here are a few tips to increase the chances that your resume ends up in the "yes" pile.
Keep it Clean
Most resumes are presented in digital format and parsed into a on-line database often times before it's even reviewed. Make sure your resume has clean lines and is easily scannable; If the formatting is a mess or it's hard to read the recruiter or hiring manager may toss you into the 'no' pile on the initial screen.
Don't Under or Over Do it
Your resume doesn’t necessarily need to be a traditional one-page document. A resume should be somewhere between 1 to 3 pages long. Most importantly is should be well thought out, concise with minimal redundancy.
Sell Your Value Add.
A hiring manager or recruiter will spend 15-30 seconds looking at your resume on the initial pass, so sell yourself upfront. Put your quantifiable skills and achievements up front and give them a reason to interview you within the first 15 seconds of reading your resume.
Tailor your Resume to the Opportunity
Make sure your resume fits the role. Resumes that stand out in a bad way, could cost you a job. Make sure to read the job description, highlight the key requirements and tailor your resume to read like it.
Show Why You're a Fit
Organize and customize your resume so they can easilytell that you are qualified. Focus on the job posting's terminology and reflect that in your resume. Using a specific job posting, structure your current or most recent positions to reflect the language and responsibilities listed.
Keyword Optimization
Review the job description for relevant and recurring keywords to figure out which terms you have and should include on your resume. Make sure to list each keyword in your skills section as well as throughout the body of your resume. Resumes with matching keywords are often times the only ones reviewed.
Get a Second Opinion
You will always have a biased assessment of your own resume. Send it to a trusted friend or colleague to review it against the position you are applying for. Ask them to proofread it for grammar and spelling errors and ask for their honest opinion.
Send Something that Differentiates You
Recruiters spend hours scanning through resumes, so include statements in your resume that can help you stand out. It could be something as simple as adding 'Crushed the project delivery schedule' between a bullet point about your project management and budgeting experience.
Keep it Updated
Keep your resume current. Try to revise your resume at least once per year to save yourself the stress of having to urgently update it when an opportunity comes up. You'll capture much more by documenting your accomplishments in real time.