Blog,Career Coaching

How to Create a Resume that Stands Out

How to Create a Resume that Stands Out

Recruiters receive a lot of resumes, and in their initial review, they typically spend about 10 seconds deciding whether a candidate should be rejected or considered further. You want your resume to clearly show why you’re a good match for the position!

As experienced recruiters and career coaches, we know how to create a resume that catches a recruiter’s eye.

In this article:

Make it Look Good

Your resume should be clean, modern, clear, and easy to read. Put your best foot forward with these tips:

  • Use a sans serif font (one that doesn’t have small lines or extensions at the end of strokes) like Arial, Tahoma, or Calibri
  • Your font size should be no smaller than 10
  • Consider using a complementary font for headings and other areas you want to stand out
  • A little color can jazz things up, but keep it simple and use it consistently
  • Keep it Applicant-Tracking-System-friendly by avoiding tables, text boxes, and graphic elements
  • Say what’s necessary and no more – you don’t need your physical address, months you held positions, years you earned degrees, or locations of companies you worked for
  • Use a professional-sounding email
  • Use bullet points, not paragraphs, where possible
  • Consider including a sheet with quotes about you from former bosses or influencers you’ve worked with, or add a quote in a strategic place, like under your summary statement
  • The vast majority of resumes should only be one page – two at the absolute most
  • Errors and misspelling can get you cut from the candidate pool – ask someone to review your resume to help you find them
  • Use a PDF file to submit your resume to make sure everything stays where it’s supposed to
  • Keep the file name simple (like “Jane Doe Resume”) and double-check it before you submit it

Start with a Summary Statement

The first thing on your resume should be a summary sentence about who you are and what you’re looking for. You don’t need to include a header like “Summary Statement” – it just takes up space.

Include the job title for the position that you’re applying for; it can help you get through keyword searches. And use words that reflect the type of role you’re seeking and the experience you bring.

A few examples:

“Accomplished and inventive communications professional seeking a Marketing Manager opportunity to use achievements in writing content, project management, and digital marketing strategy.”

“Diligent and proactive Project Manager with 12+ years of experience in leadership, supply chain management, and logistics in large-scale manufacturing environments.”

Focus on What’s Important

Put your most important achievements first so the recruiter sees them right away, and focus on information that’s relevant to the position.

  • List your certification credentials after your name (“Jane Doe, SHRM-SCP, SPHR)
  • Unless you’re currently in college, don’t include where you went to high school and what activities you did while you were there
  • Only students and new grads should lead with education, GPA, etc. – if you have any experience, move your education info to the bottom of your resume
  • After 1-2 years of work experience, remove your GPA and any college clubs and activities
  • Unless there’s a clear connection to the position you’re applying for or you haven’t been working long, you don’t need to go all the way back to your first job

Include a section highlighting skills or areas of expertise before your experience. This is an easy way for a recruiter or Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to match you to the requirements of the position.

For example, you might include skills like:

  • Performance Management
  • Public Speaking
  • Budget Forecasting
  • Media Buying
  • CRM

Avoid listing skills like time management, collaboration, dedicated, and responsible – everyone claims to have these skills, so they don’t differentiate you.

Your experience section should focus on achievements and accomplishments, not your duties or daily to-do list. You need to do more than show you’re qualified – tell the recruiter why you’re the best choice among all the other qualified candidates.

For example, an office manager may have a bullet point that says:

“Accurately and efficiently managed filing system for over 1,000 client files”

An assembly line worker might include:

“Developed knowledge to complete 3 different manual assembly tasks for a car manufacturing line with excellent quality and accuracy”

“Collaborated with team of 12 to meet daily production goals”

Don’t Assume the Recruiter Knows Everything

The recruiter (and ATS) may not know all the ins and outs of every position or the name of every organization in their industry or area. It’s helpful to include the industry of your previous employers, unless the company is very well-known beyond your industry. And don’t assume the reader will know what programs or tools are relevant to the position; for example, list “Salesforce/CRM” instead of simply “Salesforce” if the role requires CRM experience.

Don’t Show Your Age

If you’re concerned about ageism during your job search, don’t make it easy for them! Stay away from numbers like your years of experience or your graduation year, and don’t include anything about how many years you plan to stay in the workforce. Avoid using an email address that clearly shows your birthdate or graduation year.

Use the Right Words

Make it easy for the recruiter or ATS to find a match between you and the job description, and to differentiate you from other applicants.

Don’t use generic language that is often included in resumes. Instead of “hard worker,” you might say you’re an “achiever” or you’re “energetic.” Rather than “detail-oriented,” say something like “meticulous” or “precise.”

Make sure words and concepts that seem important in the job posting are prevalent in your resume. If they ask for experience in talent acquisition, use those words, not “recruiting.” If they’re looking for a servant leader, highlight your passion for people and talent management. Consider bolding keywords so they stand out.

Tailor Your Resume

Your resume should be tailored for every position you apply for. This makes it as easy as possible for the recruiter to see the similarities between you and the role they’re trying to fill. It doesn’t have to be time-consuming; you can just make small adjustments each time.

  • Use words and phrases that match the ones used in the job description
  • Relevant items should appear at the top; for example, if the job ad says “recruiting experience desired,” put your recruiting accomplishments first
  • The qualifications the employer is looking for should be in the top third of your resume
  • Modify your summary statement and skills and expertise sections for each job

Your goal is to market your past experiences toward a specific career path. For example, listed below are tasks done by a fictional office manager:

  • Accurate maintenance and filing of 55 employment files
  • Oversee office efficiency and staff assignments, track attendance, and delegate appropriately
  • Effectively manage administrative staff through recruitment, hiring, training, and performance development

If this person was applying for another office manager position, it might be okay to word these tasks this way on a resume. But if they decided to seek an HR position instead, those duties may have more impact if worded this way:

  • Ensure compliance and appropriate record keeping in accordance with employment law for 55 employees
  • Accurately track attendance and administer employee leave benefits including FMLA, vacation, and sick time
  • Manage employee recruiting and retention practices including advertising jobs, interviewing, pre-employment screening, orientation, training, and performance reviews

Same tasks, same experience, but phrased instead from an HR perspective.

Be Strategic with Your Cover Letter

Cover letters are overrated. Resumes only get about 10 seconds of a recruiter’s attention, so spending a lot of time crafting a cover letter probably isn’t worth it. You’ll get much better results spending that time getting feedback on your resume and tailoring it to the job posting.

Some recruiters like cover letters, though, and some applicant tracking systems require them. If you decide to write a cover letter, here are some tips.

  • Keep it short – no more than one or two paragraphs with a few sentences each
  • Highlight key points like why you’re interested in relocating, why you’re qualified for positions you’re hoping to pivot to, or specific industry experience if it’s not included on your resume
  • Target your cover letter to specific jobs and show you care about getting that particular position, not just any position
  • Use the job advertisement as a clue to what you should highlight in your cover letter, like preferred qualifications, experience requirements, etc.

Use your time wisely! Don’t waste it on writing a long, generic cover letter that won’t attract much of the recruiter’s attention.

Need guidance on your job search journey? Learn more about our career coaching services here! Or send us a message here, and we’ll guide you to the right path.