How To Write A Resume That Attracts Employers' Attention (Guest Blog)

When you’re on the hunt for a new job, the one thing between you and a great opportunity is your resume. Even if you have amazing interview skills, you won’t reach the interview stage of an application process without a great resume. You need a resume that reflects your capabilities and will highlight to employers why you are a worthy candidate. Here is how to write a resume that attracts employers’ attention.

Focus On Your Accomplishments

When applying for jobs, a lot of people become focused on listing all the jobs they’ve had and the duties that were required of them in each one. While this is relevant information, the information you really want to highlight is the achievements you had at each role and the accomplishments that made you an exemplary employee. If you were responsible for the success of a particular project or if you won any types of industry awards or commendations, make sure this is included in your resume and formatted in such a way that it is brought to the employers’ attention. This is also more interesting than simply knowing that part of your last job was organising payslips or distributing content.

Keep It Simple

Ideally you want to keep your resume to one, or two, pages. When recruiting, employers do not want to have to read through masses of information and your cover letter is your opportunity to expand upon how you think you will be a good fit for the job. Rather than overwhelm a potential employer, keep your resume simple with the most important and relevant information included. There is no need to include all your high school extracurricular activities if you have been out of high school for fifteen years. Similarly, if you worked in hospitality for a few years while studying but now work in an entirely different industry, you can probably leave these jobs off the resume.

Consider Your Formatting And Font

As well as what information you’re including in your resume, you should also think about how you’re presenting the information. You should consider the structure of your resume, the formatting and the font. Using a basic font, bullet points and headings are a good way to go as it makes all the information easier to process for a potential employer. Don’t pick anything too ornate or over-the-top as this will distract from the information you want the employer to read.

Show You Have An Online Presence

These days we usually create and share our resume digitally. When applying for jobs, we often begin the application process online. For this reason it is a good idea to show to potential employers that you have an online presence, such as a LinkedIn account, so they can have a look at these accounts and get a better sense of who you are. This doesn’t mean linking to your Instagram account that shows you on holiday, but you may link to your website, your LinkedIn or a blog that gives examples of your previous work, your work ethic and shows that you’re competent in online places.

Customise For The Job Description

Often when we are applying for jobs, we can fall into the trap of sending off the exact same resume and simply customising the cover letter or the email we send along with it. Different jobs emphasise the importance of different skills, so it’s crucial when creating a strong resume to tailor your resume to suit the job description. You want everything on your resume to seem relevant to the employer, so if they are looking for someone with management experience, focus on these skills and how you have developed them throughout your work experience. If they want someone who is competent in a particular software, show in your resume what positions you have had that have given you experience in using that software.

Consider Creative Options

If you work in a creative industry, it is worth considering doing something a little different with your resume to highlight your creative skills. For example, you could build an interactive resume or film a video resume to send to a potential employer if it seems like the right fit. However, it is important to consider the employer and whether this is appropriate and relates to the job you are applying for.

Author Bio

Laura Martins is a content manager for RateCity, a free resource you can use to make smarter financial decisions and compare thousands of financial options.