When you’re looking for a new job, you need to make sure your resume stands out for all of the right reasons. Often, hiring managers only spend a few seconds skimming your application. If you don’t look like a top candidate right from the beginning, your resume could quickly end up in the discard pile.
Luckily, there are things you can do if you want to stay at the front of the line. Here are some tips that can help you stand out from other MS job candidates.
Adopt a Hiring Manager Mindset
When most professionals create a resume, they focus on what they want to share. At times, this approach means they overlook the most essential part of the job search equation: what the hiring manager values.
Before you submit a resume, you need to review it while adopting a hiring manager mindset. Reread the job description and consider the challenges the company is facing and how the new hire serves as a solution. Then, position yourself as the ideal choice by concentrating on what the hiring manager values.
Include a Punchy Professional Summary
The days of the objective statement are long gone. Today, it’s all about the professional summary. In this section, you can introduce the hiring manager to what you have to offer quickly.
When you create your professional summary, showcase how you can help the company achieve its goals. Include details about your skills and experience, as well as any other traits that make you particularly well suited to the position. Work in an achievement that demonstrates your ability to drive results, and you’ll end up with a punchy summary that is more likely to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
Shine a Spotlight on Your Skills
After your professional summary, consider adding a small section that highlights your skill set. Include no more than ten skills that the hiring manager would find valuable. Additionally, focus on relevant hard skills, referring to the job description frequently to determine which the company deems most critical. While soft skills are also necessary, they don’t need to be listed here.
Quantify Your Achievements
On a resume, numbers can speak louder than words. When you quantify your achievements, you are giving the hiring manager insights into your value as an employee. It provides them with context regarding the size and nature of your accomplishments, and numbers draw the eye since they are somewhat rare in the document.
Triple Check for Errors
Before you send in a resume, you need to review it to make sure there aren’t any errors. Even small spelling or grammar mistakes can cost you an interview, so it’s wise to use a triple-check process.
First, review your resume on your own. This can include visually reviewing it, reading it out loud, or even using text-to-speed software to have it read to you. Sometimes, by having it read aloud, you’ll notice mistakes your eyes missed so that it can be a smart approach.
Second, have a trusted family member, friend, or member of your network take a look. Sometime, a fresh pair of eyes will also find errors that you overlooked.
Third, review it yourself again. If the person who reviewed it made changes, this helps you find any mistakes they may have caused. Plus, it gives you a chance to revisit the document after you’ve set it down for a while, and that can help you spot other errors.
Ultimately, by following the tips above, you can make sure that your resume stands out. If you’d like to learn more, the skilled staff at TempStaff can help. Contact us to speak with one of our recruiters today and see how our resume writing experts can benefit your Mississippi job search.
