According to career counselors at the Rockport Institute, employers interview an average of one person for every 200 resumes they receive for a position. To land that interview, your resume must stand out from the rest--and quickly. Resumes routinely are scanned in as little as 10 or 20 seconds, while recruiters look for key points of interest and outstanding qualifications.
Step 1
Research the company so you can target your resume directly to the business and its needs. Find out the company's primary business, its core values and mission statement, and how it stands in comparison to its competitors.
Step 2
Write an objective at the top of the page that directly mentions the position for which the company is hiring. For example, if the advertised position is for an entry-level manager, write that your objective is to become an entry-level manager at the company--mention it by name--which is looking for an enthusiastic, hard-working manager who has hopes of moving into senior management.
Step 3
Place yourself in the seat of a recruiter so you can arrange your resume in order of importance for that hiring manager. Consider the skills and abilities the recruiter is looking for so you can highlight those qualities high on your resume, as well as in the opening sentence of your cover letter.
Step 4
Put those qualities and attributes high on the first page of your resume after your contact information and objective. Use bullet points to make the copy stand out. Consider a heading such as "Abilities," or "Qualifications." Write this section as if you were designing advertising copy for an outstanding new product. You must sell yourself right away, to encourage the hiring manager to move on to the second page.
Step 5
List your previous positions, jobs, skills and education on the second page. Pull out the skills you have experience in that match the job for which you are applying. According to the Job Center of Wisconsin, you can glean those required skills from the ad, or call the company and ask what they are looking for. Base your resume on those responses.
Tips and Warnings
- Include hobbies, part-time work and volunteer experience you've had that relate to the job. Place these experiences under your "work history" section. Add a third sheet with references and contact information. Find people who are connected to the company or who are well-known in the industry and the community. Get your references' permission before you use their names.
- Leave off dates of employment if you've had gaps in your employment history or if you haven't been in the job market for a long time. Wait until the interview to explain what you've been doing so you can put a positive spin on your work history. According to Think Energy Group, gaps are red flags that employers watch for when sifting through mounds of resumes.
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