A resume is the reflector of a person’s career and hard work. Starting from the applicant’s date of birth, address, email and mobile number to educational qualification, experience and skills, everything is compiled in two-three pages.
Indeed, what a tough task it is for the applicant: organizing his hard work in minimum number of pages to set his base for future. Isn’t it?
And this hard work pays off well when the recruiter selects the candidate’s resume. But how to get your resume selected is all in your hands. Your creativity and ideas will help your resume get chosen.
Don’t forget there are nearly thousands and thousands of resumes available online and the recruiter has to go through all that which means the recruiter hardly spends 6-7 seconds on every resume.
So, in order to grab his attention, here are 25 rules that you can follow to get your resume tracked or how to get your resume noticed:
How To Get Your Resume Noticed by Recruiters:
1. The format:
A clean and straightforward format is all that a recruiter wants. He can never tolerate a cluttered one. So, the information has to be placed in a hierarchal order so that it will be easier for the manager to understand and analyze the candidate’s suitability for the job.
Besides, the resume should be written in a word document where the font used should be of size 12 with one and half inches space between lines but don’t make it too lengthy.
Avoid using colour and untidy fonts. It should be typed in black and white. Clear visibility is also important.
2. Mind the length:
Don’t follow the herd blindly. Use your own writing style.
It is very easy for an experienced recruiter to know whether the resume has been copied from somewhere with certain changes or the applicant has tried to put in his own creativity. And in all this, you have to make sure that the resume isn’t too long and monotonous.
Though all the details should be enveloped in two pages, the page should be increased only if necessary.
Unnecessary information can act as a reason for denial. Your creativity is your positive point.
So, it is better to follow the 3S: Simple, Short and Sober.
3. The ‘why’ behind your application:
Your aptness to fill in the position should be explained well enough. The recruiter would like to know the reason behind applying in that particular firm or searching the job on a whole, your motive, aim and your intention.
Hence, the best way to make him understand is by writing it in simple and clear language. Research a little about the company and try to relate your objectives with the companies. This would make an impression on the hiring manager.
To emphasize on the important reason in it, make it bold or highlight to grab the recruiter’s attention.
4. Choose the style of your resume:
Write what is your priority. A resume can be styled in various ways. Either draft as per your experience, your skills, a combination of both or customizing it the way you want.
People with too much of experience always prefer to give value to the experience part and explain it elaborately.
On the contrary, if you have a proper balance of both, then it would be better to give importance to both of them.
5. Clarity of ideas before writing:
When your ideas are clear, then only you will be able to write a short and clear resume. The precision in your thoughts will reflect in your resume.
To get it short and right, it is essential to get things right in your head so that the content of the resume can be organized as it should be.
6. Your qualification:
Without accurate and detailed mention of your educational background, your resume is definitely incomplete.
It has to be mentioned in the descending form, like the course completed last should be mentioned first with the name of the college, the state and year passed.
State the details in a bullet form. It will be faster for the recruiter to screen through it and evaluate if you are eligible for the applied job.
Do add with a separate sub-heading if you have done any special course. This can also be stated under the “Skills” sub-head.
7. Your work places and job profile:
The current job title with the company’s name and the previous titles with the earlier company’s/companies name have to be mentioned along with the job profile.
The recruiter has to get an idea about your work profile to judge if you will be able to do your job correctly. All your duties in your job profile should be listed in the bullet form.
Highlight the ones you think are similar to the applied job. This will save the time of the manager and build his interest in your resume.
8. Appropriate display of your skills:
Your expertise is your tool to be ahead of others. It is the priority of every job contender to highlight their skills.
Hence, make sure that while drafting resume, you list your skills like your acquaintance with technology, any new programming learned, the level of idea generation, any latest project that you have tactfully handled as a leader and much more.
Outline the ones that can be useful in the applied job by making it bold. The information has to be succinct so that it can create an immediate impact, i.e. getting you an interview call.
9. The Company:
The current company name and the previous company name are very important. Be it a branded or famous company or a new company, you should cite your designation details correctly.
Don’t worry if the company where you have worked is new, your references would hold significance as they would inquire about your working style, behavior and work interest.
Indirectly, the hiring person will get to know how much respect you hold for your company and job.
10. The list of appreciations:
This is again the most important part of your resume. Take it as your selection tool.
List the appreciations and work accomplishments in resume, that you have done in the companies you have worked with either in words, numbers or in the form of graph to make it easier to comprehend.
Try relating how these achievements can be advantageous for the applied job and outline the same. If you succeed, this will take you a step ahead in receiving the interview call.
11. Durability matters:
Here, we are not talking about any product. It simply means that your stay with a company for a longer period deciphers your stability chances.
For instance, if you have worked with five companies for hardly six months to a year reflects that you cannot stay with a company for long. At least a year commitment is what every company looks for. If you have been stable with a firm, then mention the current and previous company’s name with number of years in the bracket and highlight the same.
12. Don’t boast about yourself:
In order to get noticed or picked up for a job, many applicants try to brag about themselves.
Avoid appreciating your work, like “I’m high on creative thinking”, “I’m an excellent worker”, “I always come on time”, “I make good presentations” and much more. Such comments should only come from your boss.
Also follow the same during the interview. Or else this would only bug the recruiter. Researchers have stated this as one of the reasons for neglecting the resume of an applicant.
13. Don’t reveal business secrets:
This is where your loyalty is tested. Be it your current company or the previous one; never reveal the business secrets of the company either directly or indirectly.
For example, “I successfully handled the XYZ Project of the ABC Company and helped them earn projects.” All such information should be kept confidential. If you can’t be loyal to your current or previous firm, you can’t be trustworthy for the applied company as well. And this is what irks the recruiter. The moment you reveal any such kind of information, he would reject you immediately.
14. Professional development:
This is what we keep on calculating every time. It is necessary to share how a particular job has aided you to learn and grow with various sessions like training, outdoor activities, presentations, or helping with the official code of conduct and much more.
It always helps in improving our personality and maintaining our dealing with the clients.
15. Avoid misleading information:
In the entire course of your sending a resume application, don’t provide any kind of incorrect information that is a disadvantage for you.
Information has to be proper and correct. Don’t provide any kind of information that you aren’t sure about. At least that can help you escape.
16. Under-qualified is not harm:
If you are a fresher or have less experience or are under-qualified for a position, then don’t hesitate in applying. Just give the recruiter a brief overview as to what made you apply for this post.
Sometimes, eligibility in terms of qualification is ignored if the candidate is capable and compassionate to do the work. Make it a description of 3-4 lines and highlight a sentence or words that you believe would make an impact.
However, don’t make it boring. It should be extra-ordinary. In this case, newcomers stand a positive chance.
17. Avoid clichéd sentences:
What’s new in your resume that can grab the eyeballs of the recruiter? This should be the priority question in your mind.
Consider this before drafting the resume. In all this, we generally use certain phrases that have now become clichéd as the level of structuring a resume has changed over years and now solely depends on the applicant’s thoughts and ideas.
For instance, avoid saying “your esteemed organization”, “I am what you are looking for”, “I can help the company grow”, “Kindly consider my application”, “My qualification match to your eligibility requirement” etc. Don’t make up your statement as if you are asking for empathy.
18. Error-free writing:
Any kind of spelling mistake in your resume can work against you. It evidently shows your carelessness. Spelling mistake can be in anything.
For example, typo error in the company’s name or designation applied or wrong information about your qualification or incorrect information about your job profile and pay package will add to your worries.
An experienced recruiter can easily spot the mistakes. Though certain recruiters avoid the first error, this can turn out to be a disappointing act. To be sure, ask someone else to give it a final read before you send it.
19. Awards received:
It is important to share your success and failure with everyone as these are the best lessons learned in life. Hence, any award received by you in any firm should be specified clearly.
To some extent, this explains your potential and creativity. And that is exactly what a recruiter would love to see.
20. Don’t apply for too many positions in the same company:
Remember! This can act as a negative factor against you. The recruiters are too much experienced in eye tracking the right resume.
Hence, he can easily recognize you with either your name or photo (in case applied online). Besides, the salary and work profile also varies with different positions. At the end, he might feel that you are confused regarding your abilities and you want the job at any cost.
21. Cover letter can be optional:
Not all the companies ask for a cover letter. Many firms keep it as optional. As there are so many resumes to go through, adding a cover letter, when not demanded, will only waste your time.
Hence, it is necessary to make a detailed inquiry to know what the company has asked for. Besides, even if they ask for it, write only a synopsis of your resume. If you mention everything in detail, then there would be no role of the resume.
22. Time gap:
Being a well experienced person, the time gap in the career can act as negative against you.
So, instead of providing misleading or incorrect information, it would be better to specify the valid and true reasons behind the gap period. It can elaborate in 2-3 lines.
23. Societal background:
Believe it or ignore it, your involvement in the public welfare is pivotal. Some recruiters consider it important and even appreciate it as this will help them in dealing with their corporate social responsibility.
Besides, employing such a person will also encourage other employees to get actively involved in it.
24. Where you belong:
If you have not been a local resident, then this can be one reason to consider at the last. Reason being not from the state would certainly have expectations from the company to help you.
So, it is important for you to clarify this to the recruiter by stating a two liner description as to why you have applied in a different state or a new location.
25. Reference:
This is taken as the final verdict before inviting the selected candidate for the interview. Hence, mention the name of the person who you believe would give accurate information about you and your working style.
He should belong to your working companies. In case of doubts, the recruiter would take a final confirmation from the references only.
Make sure their name, contact numbers and email ids are specified correctly.
Now that we have provided you a comprehensive explanation on the eye tracking secrets we hope you try the same. Besides, there have been many modifications in the pattern of resumes. Apart from specifying the contact information like name, phone, address and email, the candidates list their experience in various firms along with the respective job profiles only. Some people tag this as “mini resume”. However, it is better to list everything to be on a safer side as some might consider this as a lazy act.
In case you have sent online resume, be careful with your picture. Too much dressed or under-dressed picture will only lead to a refusal. A formal picture will be sufficed.
For drafting the resume in short time, write all that you have in your mind. Then follow the instructions mentioned above and arrange them with the required details. Most importantly, when you get the interview call and they would confirm the information, remember what you have sent them. Some people forget that they even applied for a job. When they get a call, they act in an improper way which will only lead to disappointment. Hence, take out your writing pad and start right away.
