How to Write a Resume that Stands Out

If so, read on to learn what needs to be included on your resume so that it rises above the rest.

If we’ve never met before, I’m Heather Austin from ProfessorAustin.com and The Career Club on Facebook, and here, I share simple solutions to help you build a business or launch a career you love.

The 6-Second Resume

Your resume is one of the most important documents you’ll create in your lifetime. Get your  FREE resume template to make yours stand out!

Let’s jump into how to get your resume noticed!

Tip 1 – Get the Length Just Right

When you submit your resume, remember that the person on the receiving end may be looking at hundreds of resumes, so you want the length of your resume to be just right.

Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you have less than 5 years of experience, keep your resume to one page. If you have more than 5 years of experience, it’s alright if you use 2 pages.

To fit within these parameters, pay close attention to your font style, font size, and margins. To help you with this, I made a *video* all about how to format your resume.

Tip 2 – Include a Professional Profile

A professional profile is one of the first sections, after your name and contact information, that a recruiter or hiring manager will look at. You really want to knock it out of the park with a well-written professional profile.

Aim to explain in two to three sentences what you can do for a company and demonstrate how your professional background and experience will help the company solve problems.

A great way to approach this is to mention the number of years you’ve worked in a particular position and what your greatest accomplishment has been in that position.

Also, discuss your specialty and what makes you an expert in your industry. Doing this will clearly demonstrates who you are and what you are capable of.

A note for students: If you don’t have a lot of work experience, this is the perfect place to mention your volunteer work and specifics about your course work.

Tip 3 – Make Sure Your Resume is Keyword Heavy

Once you find a position that really interests you, incorporate keywords listed in the position into your professional profile and work experience sections. T

his will help you get past any initial tracking software that your resume is subject to when you first apply for a job.

Placing keywords and phrases throughout your resume also tailors it to the desired industry or position.

Tip 4 – Tell a Compelling Story in Your Work Experience Section

This is the time to paint a picture of how you got to where you are now in your career. Start with your most recent position and add all pertinent jobs in reverse-chronological order.

Under each position, add bullet points to organize your accomplishments, placing the most emphasis on your current position and adding the only relevant achievements to your later jobs.

If you’ve seen a resume-writing video of mine before, you’ve probably heard me say this before, but you should do your best to quantify your accomplishments; you can do this by placing numbers, dollar amounts, and percentages wherever you can in your work experience section.

Tip 5 – Proofread

Don’t forget to proofread your resume to check for spelling and grammatical errors. There’s nothing worse than missing out on a job opportunity because something was misspelled or written incorrectly.

We read differently on paper then we do on screen, so my recommendation would be to print our your resume, and proof it with a pencil in hand. If you don’t own a functional printer, find another way to print your resume.

After you print your resume and proof it by hand, transfer the edits to your virtual document. Then print it out again and ask someone you know that has an eye for detail (such as a teacher, a librarian, or just a really smart friend) to proofread it.

They may see something that you missed; even if they only find a misused word or incorrect punctuation, it may protect you from making a bad impression.

Bonus

Now take a look at this video I made to share with you 6 steps to getting the perfect resume. This video, along with the tips I just shared, will certainly help you get your resume noticed.

And, just for you, I’ve created this free quick resume template below to help you kick start your resume fast!

The 6-Second Resume

Your resume is one of the most important documents you’ll create in your lifetime. Get your  FREE resume template to make yours stand out!