Do you want a resume that will land you more job interviews? Or maybe you need a resume that will help you get a higher-paying job.

If so, keep reading, because in this blog post, you’ll learn 6 resume writing strategies that will help you write the perfect resume for any job.

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 land your dream job and grown in a career in you love.

The 6-Second Resume

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

Studies have shown that humans have a shorter attention span than goldfish, which is only 9 seconds, and our attention span is only getting shorter because of our digitized lifestyle.

That’s why I teamed up with my good friends over at Red Rocket Resume to bring you 6 resume-writing tips that will help you pass the 6-second test and land you even more job interviews.

Let’s jump into it.  

Tip #1 – Have a Clear Message

To write a great resume, you need to have a clear message. This means you must have a clear vision of what you can offer. This will help you demonstrate what you can do for the company and why you are a good fit for the position.

To develop your message, pinpoint your strengths. What are you good at? What parts of your job bring you the most fulfillment? What tasks/projects are you most passionate about? What do others say you do well?

Tip #2 – Include a Branding Profile

With your message defined, you are ready to craft a branding profile. A branding profile is a brief description that highlights your greatest accomplishments and clearly communicates who you are, who you help, and how you help them.

A branding profile comes right after your name and contact information and appears right before your experience section. A great branding profile will convey what you can do for a business rather than what you want out of a position.

Tip #3 – Focus on the Top Half

The top portion of your resume is by far the most important. This is where a hiring manager or recruiter will look first. You have 6 seconds or less to convince them that you are a perfect candidate for an interview.

Include a good contact phone number and a professional email address, preferably a Gmail account with your first and last name or some combination of your name. Rather than a street address, include your personal LinkedIn URL.

Tip #4 – Highlight Your Accomplishments

Hiring managers and recruiters want to see the results you’ve made in your previous positions. They want to see the problems you’ve solved, how you solved them, and the impact you made.

To clearly convey this, highlight your accomplishments rather than listing your job descriptions. One of the best ways to highlight your accomplishments is by using numbers, percentages, and dollar amounts.

Tip #5 – Make It Relevant

Your resume should always be relevant to the position you are applying for. This means you need to tailor your resume to each position as you apply to them.

Closely review the job description for keywords and make sure those keywords are placed throughout your resume.

This also means removing work experience that is more than 10 years old, unless it has a clear and direct tie to the position you are applying for.

Tip #6 – Place Emphasis on the Format

To make your resume pop, put some extra effort into the format and design. This can be difficult but well worth it, because hiring managers receive hundreds of resumes.

A clean format and a sophisticated design will give you a greater chance of standing out from all the others. You don’t need to create an elaborate infographic resume (unless your industry requires it), but you should follow a few strategies to help your resume stand out from the rest.

1. Consider using an alternate font. Times New Roman and Arial are the most commonly-used fonts on resumes, which is why they should be avoided. Alternate fonts, such as Garamond, Gill Sans, or Cambria, are still very legible and will help your resume stand out.

2. Highlight sections by applying subtle changes such as bold headings, line breaks, extra spacing, and/or slight color variation.

3. Use lists. Bulleted or numbered lists allow the reader to quickly scan over and understand information or ideas more quickly.

Thanks for reading until the end. I have an extra special bonus just for you!

The 6-Second Resume

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