Before you lob yourself into a job hunt, begin to update fast with the latest resume trends and styles. Latest doesn’t mean you drop being sincere, succinct and error free, but along with abiding by those three unwritten rules be aware of the current resume trends and diverse resume styles.
Attention is the new currency today in a world saturated by digital media and gadgets vying for your constant attention. Social media and the info glut have caused many to have attention spans of a lit match.
A recent study by Ladders found that attention spans are at an all time low with hiring managers spending no more than six seconds looking at a resume before deciding whether the applicant is worth for future consideration. That’s again if a human looks at it at all as usually your resume has to make past the automated applicant tracking system.
As hiring reaches an all time high and stiff competition stares in the job seekers eye, the difference between landing a dream job or losing one boils down to a few tips to make your resumes shine and stand out from the crowd.
Hyperlink Relevant Information
Make the job of the hiring managers easier by hyperlinking your email address so you’re only one click away from contact. Also, include active links to your LinkedIn profile and any social media accounts relevant for the recruiters.
Punch up the Design
Make the page pop depending upon the industry. For instance, a graphic designer has more leeway with design and artistry than an accountant whose resume demands to stay staid. Use color to make your resume look unique and replace decade old fonts like Times Roman with modern fonts such as Cambria, Calibri or Georgia as they are cross browser compliant.
Lead With a Summary
To instantly capture the attention of the hiring managers, start your resume with a short synopsis which should include: your experience, job history and career achievements. Don’t just label it as summary, but use the header to highlight your area of expertise.
Since today’s hiring managers are tightly focused on finding the right hire and are not interested to know what you are looking for, the objective statement has become obsolete.
Guide the Readers Eye
The internet has long changed our reading behavior. People don’t read from top to bottom anymore. Instead they skim the page and if you don’t structure your resume by including subheads and bold text to make certain details stand out, then lot of the good content will never get looked at.
Beat the Bots
Almost all medium to large corporations use software to weed out candidates. Mirror the language of the job posting by including all the right keywords to get through. The difference between getting through or rejected is as simple as changing the word ‘customer service’ to ‘client relations.’
Forget the Skills Section
Craftily weave your talents into your work experience. Employers are looking for more than a laundry list of skills. They are keener to know how you’ve applied them on job. Include a designed section detailing your skills if you’re applying for skill based job such as an IT specialist.
The resume is not dying yet, though stories to that end crop up once every year. They are rooted here for a long haul and remain a vital element in a job search. Get your customized CV/Resume with our premium CV/Resume writing service.