7 Tips to Make Your Resume Stand Out

In today's competitive job market, crafting a unique and compelling resume is more important than ever. Your resume is your first chance to impress a potential employer, so make it strong and positive. Here are seven tips to help your resume stand out in a crowded field.

 1. Tailor Your Resume to Each Job Application

It's crucial to customize your resume for each job application. Tailoring your resume for each application may require time, but it reflects the effort in the resume. Tailored resume can make you a good fit for the interview invitation and leaves a good first impression.

Highlight the key skills and experiences that aligns with your experience.

For example, if the job description mentions strong customer service skills, you can tailor your resume & highlight the skill.

For example, if you're a Business Analyst applying for a position that emphasizes data analysis and problem-solving skills. You can use a measurable example "Used data analysis to find problems and saved 25% in costs within six months."

Here is an article by Teal that discusses easy steps to tailor your resume according to the job description.

 2. Use Measurable Achievements

Instead of merely listing your duties in each role, focus on your accomplishments. More specifically, quantify these accomplishments whenever possible. For instance, instead of saying you "increased sales," say you "increased sales by 20% in the first quarter."

This gives potential employers a clear picture of your capabilities. As a Project Manager, managing a team is one of the key requirements, organizations look for.

So, you can highlight an accomplishment like "Managed a team of 10 to complete an IT project using only 75% the budget.

 3. Incorporate Relevant Keywords

Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to screen resumes before they even reach a human. These systems scan for specific keywords related to the job. To make sure your resume makes it past this initial screening, incorporate keywords from the job description into your resume. But remember, don't overdo it—your resume should still read naturally.

For example, if you're a Scrum Master, your resume should include keywords from the job description such as "Agile," "Scrum," "sprint planning," or "backlog grooming."

 4. Keep it Clear and Concise

It is important to keep the resume concise. It is definitely tempting to include all the details but the shorter the resume, better it is.

The recommended length is 1 page if you have less than 7-10 years of experience. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to make your resume easy to skim, and avoid jargon or complex language.

For example, if you are a Business analyst " Reduced 30% in report generation time by adopting a new data visualization tool.

 5. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

Before sending out the resume to the recruiter or a hiring manager, don't forget to proofread your resume. A resume with typos or grammatical errors can quickly end up in the rejection pile. Read your resume aloud, use a spell-checking tool, and have someone else look it over if possible.

It is always a good idea to get feedback from a friend, family member, career coach, or your mentor. Someone else who hasn't read it before can catch the silly mistakes that you might have missed.

They can help you identify any areas that need improvement. For example, a Project Manager could lose credibility if their resume mentions managing "budegts" instead of "budgets."

 6. Use Strong Action Verbs

Using strong action verbs can help your resume stand out by making your responsibilities and achievements sound more impactful. These verbs should be specific and descriptive, painting a clear picture of your abilities and initiative.

For example, for a Project Manager, instead of saying "were responsible for a project," mention "spearheaded a major IT infrastructure project." Scrum Masters could upgrade a phrase like "led daily stand-ups" to "guided efficient daily stand-ups."

Choosing the right action verb can elevate the quality of your resume, making it more memorable.

 7. Leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly useful tool in many aspects of job hunting, including resume creation. AI resume builders can give you instant feedback on your resume, suggesting format, keyword, and language tone improvements. They help make your resume pass through ATS and impress recruiters. Here's how they can assist you and save time:

1. Enhanced Formatting and Presentation: AI makes your resume visually attractive by suggesting changes, making it look polished and professional.
2. Keyword Help: You can use AI to detect important keywords from job descriptions, which helps in optimizing your resume and make it ready for recruiters.
3. Tailoring your resume: AI allows you to create customized versions of your resume quickly, catering to different job applications and industries.
4. Language Tone and Content Suggestions: AI evaluates the language tone and provides content suggestions to align your resume with the desired job role, making it more appealing to potential employers.
5. Real-Time Feedback and Efficiency: AI offers real-time assistance and recommendations as you work on your resume, streamlining the editing process and saving you time and effort.

By leveraging these benefits, AI-powered resume builders can significantly improve your chances of crafting a compelling and competitive resume.

Additionally, some AI tools offer industry-specific suggestions, allowing you to tailor your resume to the unique expectations and standards of your field.

However, while these tools can provide valuable insights, they should be used as a complement to—not a replacement for—personalized editing and proofreading.

By using AI in conjunction with the other strategies outlined above, you can craft a resume that truly stands out in today's competitive job market. An AI-powered resume builder could suggest including a relevant certification like "Certified Scrum Master (CSM)" or using a more impactful verb like "orchestrated" instead of "led."

Read more about how you can efficiently use Artificial Intelligence to tailor your resume.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a standout resume is tailored to the job, filled with quantifiable achievements, uses relevant keywords, is clear and concise, and is meticulously proofread. By following these seven tips, you'll increase your chances of grabbing a recruiter's attention and landing that job interview.

If you're looking to break into the tech industry as a non-tech profession, The Career Accelerators (TCA) can help you achieve your career goals. Book a call with us today to learn more about our courses and how we can help you succeed.