Today’s job market is super competitive and honestly, I’ve never seen anything like that before in my life. After spending over 20 years working within different facets of technology support, I myself have found it difficult to advance or even pivot in any direction. With layoffs become as common as cheese and that’s not including hiring freezes making your resume stand out is more critical than ever. In this blog, I’m going to give you 9 tips I think you should follow in order to make your resume standout. A few of these have helped me along the way.
So, dust off your resumes and prepare to dive in to create a standout resume that grabs attention and lands interviews.
1. Clean Resume Layout
A clean, professional format can make a world of difference. Using fonts, columns, tables, rows and etc. and misconstrued how your resume is processed through the ATS. Grammatical errors, spacing and colors to name a few can quickly get your resume tossed into the reject pile.
So, use simple fonts such as Calibri, Arial, Sans Serif and Times New Roman keeping it simple. Make sure you keep the font size between 10-12pt, all margins preferable between 0.5 – 1.0 and font color black.
2. Name Your Headline
There is no right or wrong way to craft your headline, but I recommend that you keep the personal details to a minimum only added what is necessary.
Example: Name (at the top)
Next line: email address, specific location (city, state and/or country), email address and LinkedIn profile. Your phone number can be optional as you’ve input it into whichever applicant tracking system they use.
3. Craft a Compelling Summary
Think about having only 30 seconds to summarize your career that’s how you need to treat this section. It should be no more than 3-5 sentences highlighting your value and core competencies as they pertain to the role. I like to use an action word to boost my role “versatile” but it’s up to you how you decide to start.
Example: “Versatile IT professional with 7+ years of experience in technical support, network management, and system administration. Proven track record of enhancing system performance and user satisfaction through effective problem-solving and proactive maintenance. Adept at managing the end to end of service delivery to exceed resolution times.”
4. Tailor Your Resume Standout
Tailor your resume for each job application by incorporating keywords and phrases from the job description and requirements. This not only shows you’ve done your homework, but it highlights your relevant experience. I would recommend you creating a master resume, therefore, won’t have to keep tailoring a brand-new resume. Most importantly, look for words that are multiple times; fit them into but refrain from overexaggerating, copying/pasting the direct description into your resume or choosing keywords that you have no idea what they are. Jobscan is a great tool to assist you with keywords. Now, if you’ve done something similar to what it’s asking then add that. For example, if they specify having ServiceNow experience but you’ve used a similar tool emphasize that tool.
Example: The job description mentions “technical support” and “network administration,” include these keywords: “Provided comprehensive technical support and network administration for xxx end users and xxx service requests.”
5. Accomplishments = Metrics
Metrics speak volumes and it shines a light on your accomplishments so if you have them use them. Most people aren’t in roles that require using metrics to quantity what they’ve done but every role is metrics drive so record and use them. Just don’t over embellish.
Example: “Reduced helpdesk ticket resolution time by 40% through the implementation of a new ticketing system and streamlined workflows.”
6. Use Standout Action Words
Start bullet points with verbs like “accelerated,” “strategized,” or “optimized” to convey past successes.
Example: “Optimized network performance by implementing new routing protocols and monitoring systems, resulting in a 30% increase in speed and reliability.”
7. Highlight Relevant Skills
Add a skills section that showcases your most relevant and in-demand abilities, including both technical and soft skills.
Example: Technical: Active Directory, Windows Server, VPN Management, LAN/WAN – Soft: Problem-Solving, Team Collaboration, Communication
8. Check for Errors So, Proofread
Spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors can make you look unprofessional. Read your resume multiple times and use tools like Grammarly to catch errors.
9. Bonus Tip: Add Relevant Projects
I recommend you include any relevant projects such as personal websites, blog sites, and course materials you’ve created. These demonstrate your initiative, expertise, commitment to continuous learning and they can really help your resume standout from others. This can be vital when you are looking to pivot into a different role. It’s similar to utilizing transferable skills.
Example:
Sipofdetechlife (www.sipofdetechlife.com) is a blog I created several years ago to allow me to share in my tech experience but also build up my content writing skills.
By incorporating these tips, your resume will not only stand out but also tell a compelling story about your professional journey. Remember, your resume is more than just a list of jobs; it’s a reflection of your career and the value you bring to future employers. After you finish your resume, check out my blog on staying motivated in your job search!
Share some of your resume tips in the comments!
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