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4 Tips for Creating a Well-Balanced Resume

Your resume should be written to showcase the unique talents that you can bring to a job and be based on sound strategies. Here are some tips on what you should include in your resume.

1. Use Relevant Keywords

Adding relevant keywords throughout your resume accomplishes two main things. First, it increases the likelihood that you make it through an applicant tracking software (ATS) that filters candidates by keywords. Roxanne Peplow, career advisor at Computer Systems Institute, says that “you must put some of the keywords from the job posting into your resume, or it will probably never be seen by human eyes.”

Second, it shows recruiters that your knowledge and skillset apply to the position. By basing your keywords around specific tasks and qualifications, it helps you stand out among other candidates.  

2. Point Out Your Accomplishments 

It’s also important to go beyond simply mentioning the tasks you completed at another job and highlight your specific accomplishments. Ideally, you’ll use concrete numbers so recruiters can get a sense of just how valuable you would be to their company. For example, you might say something like you helped increase production output by five percent during your first three months at a previous job.

3. Use Action Verbs

Another way to impress a hiring manager and flesh out your resume is to include action verbs throughout. For instance, rather than saying you “were responsible” for a certain task, you might say you “coordinated” or “supervised” it. Doing so should help your resume catch the attention of recruiters and give them a better idea of what you’re capable of. For a list of action verbs for resumes, check out this resource from Wake Forest University.

4. Make Your Resume Skimmable

Seldom will recruiters read through your resume word-for-word (at least initially), so it’s critical that you make it skimmable where they can quickly digest the main points. You can accomplish this by doing the following:

  • Align text to the left side of the page (don’t center it)
  • Use the same sized font throughout
  • Keep formatting consistent
  • Use sub-headers that briefly state what each section contains
  • Use bullet points whenever possible

Creating a well-balanced resume that follows best practices is essential. Following these four techniques should help you do that successfully and make a great impression on hiring managers.

Need help with your job search? Contact the experts at Axiom Staffing Group today.

 

 

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