If there were three things I would tell a candidate to do to their resume, to stand out in today`s job market, it would be this. As a hiring manager, recruiter and career coach myself, I review hundreds of resumes on a weekly basis. And let me tell you, it is not the candidate that is the best qualified for the role that actually gets the interview.
It`s the candidate that`s able to show it through their resume, that they are the best fit for the job. And so in today`s blog, I want to share with you three simple and easy hacks that you can do to your resume today, to stand out in the eyes of the employer or recruiter and actually get the interview. Are you ready?
And so in this blog, I want to share with you these three easy hacks that can make your resume stand out in the eyes of the hiring manager or recruiter, and ultimately ensure that you get the interview.
Watch Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HL3y9JsNm4w
Add A Headline To Your Resume
Number one, add a headline to your resume. Yes, your resume needs a headline. A headline is a one line statement that sits at the top of your professional summary, right underneath your contact information on your resume. It introduces you to the employer, tells them the target job that you`re applying for, but also sends a message on why you are a great candidate for the role.
You can think of this as a one line sales pitch or unique value proposition. The goal of the headline is to show the employer three things. Number one, what is the exact job title of the role that you are applying for? Number two, how can you add value through past experience or even a value add number three, it`s also going to help you to boost your ATS or applicant tracking system scores when you apply for a role online.
The fact is that resumes with the right keywords are going to rank more highly on the ATS. And so if you can include the exact job title of the role that you are applying for, right at the top of your resume, not only is it going to connect the dots for the employer, it is also going to help your resume rank when you submit it online in the applicant tracking system. So what should this headline include?
Also Read: How To Beat The Applicant Tracking System
Two things. Number one, the exact job title of the role that you`re applying for. And number two, a value add, here are some examples of headlines that you can put at top of your resume seasoned human resource director with 10 plus years’ experience building diverse teams, direct response copywriter specializing in Google and Facebook ads, inside sales representative with over 2 million dollars sold, bilingual registered nurse specializing in pediatric care, award-winning social media manager producing five times ROI.
So as you can see in these examples, we used the exact job title of the role that the person is applying for, but also a value add. We said things like five times ROI, which shows the employer, the value you that you`ve been able to produce in the past. So think of this as your one line elevator pitch, that dynamic strong statement that shows them, Hey, this is the title I`m applying for, and this is the results I`ve been able to achieve in the past. Adding a headline to your resume is an easy way to ensure that you stand out.
Accent, Important Air Areas with Bolding And Color As Humans
Number two, accent, important air areas with bolding and color as humans, our eyes naturally gravitate towards things that have access to bolds or color as this shows that this is important information that we need to pay attention to. Advertisers actually use this natural human tendency in their ads. They will highlight and bold certain areas in an advertisement so that our eyes can focus and gravitate towards the important information.
And you can use the same technique in your resume by adding bolding and color to certain areas in your resume. You are actually telling the recruiter or employer what areas you want them to focus on in your resume. Here are a few things that you can highlight and bold within your resume. Number one, you can bold any keywords that are sprinkled throughout your resume. That also appears in the job description.
This will enable you to connect the dots for the employer to say that, Hey, I know that these are the skills that you are looking for in your job posting. And I have these exact skills on my resume too. You can also bold or highlight any powerful metrics that show that you were able to get results in your previous roles. Adding accents of color and bolding to your resume is an easy way to ensure that you stand out.
Add Your Linkedin URL
And the third resume hack that you can do to your resume to ensure that you stand out is to add your LinkedIn URL. I know this sounds like the most simple, easy thing to do, but it`s also one of the most underutilized tips and tricks to help you stand out. When I`m reviewing resumes of candidates that have applied to open roles, it always surprises me when candidates don`t put their LinkedIn URL directly on their resume. I always love it.
When a candidate puts their LinkedIn URL in an easy place that I can find it, click it, and it`ll take me directly to their LinkedIn profile because the truth is that over 80% of employers actually check a candidate`s online presence, including their LinkedIn profile when making a decision on whether to take the next steps with them in the interview process and eventually hire them.
So do yourself a favor and add your LinkedIn URL to the top of your resume right next to your contact information and link the employer directly to your online presence, where they can learn more about you watch this blog next, that talks more about how to create your custom LinkedIn URL and where to put it on your resume.
The truth is that your online presence matters now more than ever, and it`s not just your resume. That`s going to enable you to take the next steps in the interview process. An employer wants to see your online presence as well. So make sure that your LinkedIn profile is fully optimized from top to bottom, that it highlights your unique value proposition skills and strengths, and it shows the employer more about you and why you would be a good fit for the open role. Not including your LinkedIn URL is actually doing you a disservice because number one, it`s showing that you`re not up to date with modern job search strategies and techniques.
And number two, it adds an extra step that the employer has to take in order to learn more about you. So just ensure that you are included in your next resume.
Also Read: How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
Recap
To recap three easy resume hacks that you can implement into your resume today to stand out. Number one, make sure that you add a headline to the top of your resume. Number two, ensure that you add accents like bolding, italics and color so that you can highlight important information in your resume that you want the recruiter or employer to see.
And last but not least, makeAdd A Headline To Your Resume sure that you add your LinkedIn URL to the top of your resume and link it directly to your profile so that the employer can learn more about you through your online presence.