6 Tips On How To Make A Resume That Gets You Hired – With Templates

Research shows that an employer/HR team scans your resume for around 6 seconds to understand if you could be a match. That’s the power of this document. So how to make a resume that is eye catching?

Whether you are looking to change your job, it is important to create a resume and keep it up to date. Many around us may find it worthwhile to have an updated resume for when the opportunity comes knocking. 

Consider yourself as an HR person. How to make a resume that will catch your attention? How would you like it to look? What is the information that would matter? What would you interpret about the candidate from the first look you have of his or her resume? With this perspective in mind, you are likely to present yourself appropriately. 

How to create your job application letter or cover letter

Here’s what a catchy job application letter or a cover letter should include:

• Address the person preferably using their name as Dear Recruiter/Hiring Manager (name). It helps them know you cared to find out where your letter was going to land
• Highlight the role you are applying for and why you are interested in the company. Start with a unique line that grabs eyeballs while ensuring you are being honest
• Let the body paragraph list your responsibilities in previous roles and the skills you have acquired. Most of all, mention the impact you had. This is a good place to mention achievements and accolades
• In the closing paragraph you could re-emphasize your interest in the position and why you are a good fit. Mention how you could contribute if selected
• End by prompting the HR person to follow up with you for more information and thank the reader for reviewing your job application letter or cover letter
• Sign off with Sincerely (your name)

Creating an impactful resume from scratch can be a challenging task. The body of your resume will differ in different stages of your career. For work experience less than 8 years, it is the projection of the skills that matter more along with current work experience. The moment your work experience increases beyond 8 years or so, then you should place emphasis on your work accomplishments over the skills. 

Read on to understand more about these aspects of resume making and make use of our free resume templates.  

Resume writing made easy 

Let your resume speak not just about your body of work but also about how you can present that work in a logical and easy to understand manner. Let your excellence show in this piece of work as well. As the quote goes “The way you do one thing is the way you do everything.”

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Give this activity the time and effort it deserves because let’s be honest first impressions stay on. Here are our tips on how your resume can make a lasting impact.

How to make a resume and what content to add

Starting your resume with an objective is passé. Instead, if you are keen to start with a brief, choose to write an interesting summary. Like a sales pitch, ensure this captures your USP, one that helps you stand out from the competition. Tailor this to suit the position and role you are applying for. Research the company and the role well to know the keywords that matter and would give you brownie points. Show them how you can add value

Keep it short and simple. A one-pager should be good; a maximum of 2 pages if that’s what your experience demands. Brevity is the key. Reserve the details for the face to face interaction

Work experience written in the reverse chronological order is both easy to understand and also helps the HR team know if it is relevant to the position you are applying for. If the skills used in multiple work experiences overlap, mention them once in bullet points to avoid being repetitive

Employer Impression – A resume with appropriate content reflects a candidate’s ability to provide relevant information when required. It speaks about good communication and clarity of thought.

How to create a better-looking resume 

• Aesthetics matter! Select a neat layout that captures the important details while ensuring there is some blank space left on the page for a good reading experience.
• Have clear section headings that stand out. Use capitals or bold to highlight them
• Ditch the fancy and cute fonts and instead use the ones that are universally accepted – Calibri, Cambria, Helvetica are some of the 2020 hits
• Use appropriate formatting that clearly segregates the section headings with the body of the text and keep consistent formatting throughout.

Employer Impression – A resume with a good style and aesthetics vouches for a candidate’s ability to systematically represent information. It speaks of the ability to plan and express well.

Personalization matters

• Consider writing about volunteering experience. Take a cue from Sheryl Sandberg’s resume to write something like a ‘Life Philosophy’, a one-liner at the start of your resume that reflects your basic approach to life and helps you stand out
• Highlight your key achievements and notable milestones
• Don’t forget naming your resume appropriately. Name-CV or Name-Resume works well. If it’s absolutely up to date Name-Resume-Month 2020 would be nice.

Employer Impression – A resume that is personalized reflects a candidate’s confidence in her unique skills. It subtly conveys that the candidate is self- respecting and knows his worth

Returning to work after a break?

• When one returns to work after a break, here are the few points to consider while writing your resume:
• Don’t hide the gaps, instead be honest and let it reflect on your resume
• Mention what you did in the said time. Did you volunteer? Did you learn something new? Show them how you utilized the time well
• Express excitement and passion to get back to work through your summary or a nice phrase
• Find ways to show your prospective employer how you are abreast with the current market, have an updated LinkedIn profile if you’ve done a certification or picked up a skill that is fairly new make sure you mention it.

Free resume templates

Here are some free templates that will act as a starting point for creating your resume using the tips given above. There are three downloadable resume templates, depending on the stage of your career:

Basic Template: Download this resume template if you have up to 8 years of experience. This will give you details on optimum placement of your credentials in an aesthetic yet informative manner. 

Basic Template

1 file(s) 54.39 KB

Download

Boss Template: Download this resume template if you are currently or have been in a managerial role in your career. This free template shows you how to highlight your individual as well as team achievements. 

Boss Template

1 file(s) 31.37 KB

Download

Return to Work Template: Download this resume template if you have been on a break. Learn the way to project yourself through your resume when you begin searching for a job again by using this template.

Return To Work: Resume Template

1 file(s) 22.70 KB

Please login to download

Image credits Elly Fairytale from Pexels

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