Resume Secrets

Of course, there is no such magic set of phrases that guarantees your resume success, and you get an instant job. But some resume writing secrets will help you stand out from the crowd and draw the employer’s attention to your candidacy.

Attach a high-quality photograph to your resume where you look presentable and welcoming

We all know that “they are greeted by their clothes …”. And your job search is no exception.

With the help of a high-quality photograph, you can not only leave a pleasant first impression but also confirm some information about yourself. If you indicated on your resume that you are an outgoing and energetic person, hardly anyone will believe you if in the photo you are sitting with a gloomy face.

You should also not attach too “home” photos or photos of poor quality. It is best to order a photo for your resume from a professional photographer. The background is plain (white or gray).

Customize your resume for the vacancy

Each well-designed vacancy contains a list of characteristics that the employer wants to see in a new employee. After reviewing them, try to adapt your resume to the vacancy, describe yourself using the same characteristics. Just don’t rush to copy them: write about yourself uniquely and originally.

Do not overdo it with the list of personal qualities – three or four will be enough, otherwise, the employer may think that you are disingenuous.

If for the desired position you need some skill that you just studied in special courses, indicate them in your resume. If you have received awards for achievements related to this skill, write about them.

You can also mention your hobbies (in the “Additional Information” section) if they can somehow influence your professional activity. If the employer is looking for motivated and motivated employees, it is very appropriate to indicate their participation in any competitions, olympiads or competitions, success in sports/music, and so on.

Not only list the personality traits but also confirm them

Think about how you can confirm the qualities indicated in the resume in practice. For example, you have repeatedly led important projects and completed them successfully and on time, which proves your responsibility and leadership qualities.

Write not only about your past jobs but also about the tasks you performed

Especially if these tasks can be useful in a new place of work. Write about the projects you have led, the events you have organized, and simply the key professional responsibilities you have performed.

Write FOR YOURSELF, do not copy your responsibilities from the job description. Start the description of tasks not with the pronoun “I”, but with the words of the action – “led”, “contributed”, “initiated”, “participated”, etc.

You can highlight important points in your resume

It’s important not to go overboard with an emphasis in your resume, but if you have a specific skill that you would like to highlight, you can emphasize it in bold italics.

A “Special Skill” is what you think you really should be hired for. For example, specialized courses, impressive work experience, or useful skills.

In some cases, the originality of the resume can play into your hands. For example, if you are applying for a creative position and decide to create an infographic resume.

However, you need to learn how to determine whether your extravagance will be appropriate in this particular case. Think carefully before getting creative: study the company you are going to apply for and the vacancy you want to apply for.

Don’t use boilerplate phrases

A resume overloaded with clichéd expressions is unlikely to leave a good impression. Recruiters have to read over and over again about the “stress tolerance” and “customer focus” of job seekers, and this does not inspire confidence at all and gives the impression that a person just found a sample resume on the Internet and tailored it for himself.

Try to write about yourself so that later your resume would be interesting to read to a stranger.

Make your resume easy to read

Be sure to pay attention to the structure of your resume. Use paragraphs, short sentences, bulleted lists to make the recruiter easier to read. But avoid tables – this is deprecated practice.

Do not overload your resume with formalisms and criticalities – write in simple language, do not use “bulky” constructions and an abundance of complex terms.

Be honest

Perhaps very simple but at the same time difficult advice. Of course, if a good position with a good salary is at stake, you want to match it as much as possible and embellish some aspects of your professional life. Still, you shouldn’t do that.

If you end up not the person you described on your resume, the consequences can be dire. Write about yourself only what you can prove in practice (this also applies to work experience, qualities, and achievements).