7 Tips On How To Write A Resume That Grabs Recruiters' Attention [Infographic]

Professionals cling to jobs they hate for many reasons. Some are afraid of change, others don’t feel like facing the challenges of today’s job market, including the time and effort it takes to write a resume. If you work 8 hours every day, it means that you spend a smashing 1,842 hours at your job per year.

That’s why it’s not worth wasting it working a job that doesn’t stir your passion. The competition for decent jobs is high, but that doesn’t mean you should give up and continue working a job you don’t like.

All it takes is to learn how to write a resume that instantly grabs the attention of recruiters and helps you land a dream job. Here are 7 simple tips to help you write a resume that lands you more job interviews than ever.

1. Write A Resume That’s Easy To Scan

A recent survey revealed that recruiters take 6 seconds to scan a resume and decide whether it’s worth their time. That’s why your resume needs to capture the attention of the hiring managers during these few seconds.

Don’t format your resume on your own. To write a resume that is flawless and readable, use a smart resume template. Your document needs to be scannable, so align all content to the left and create a clear visual hierarchy with bullet point lists.

Don’t forget to format your text using bold, italics, and capital letters. That’s how you can highlight the critical information that you want the hiring manager to see first.

2. Put The Most Important Information At The Top

You need to show recruiters that you’re a great fit for the job right from the start. Create a compelling resume summary or objective and put it at the top. This type of short, snappy introduction helps to write a resume that starts with a bang. Also, place your best content in the top third of your resume to ensure that the recruiter who scans your resume instantly spots it.

You need to write a resume that guarantees a great first impression. If your resume doesn’t grab the attention of the hiring managers, they’ll abandon your application. Outline your career progress and goals to write a resume that instantly attracts the hiring manager. Then continue with a tailored selection of relevant experience, qualifications, and achievements.

Follow the basic rules for writing an excellent resume and then use these simple tricks to take it to the next level.

3. How To Write A Great Resume? Use Keywords

Instead of choosing meaningless buzzwords, use relevant keywords to tailor your resume to the job description and convince the hiring manager that you’re a relevant candidate. Go back to the job posting and underline all the essential experiences, skills, and qualifications.

Now have a look at three to five job postings for a similar position. Do you see any skills or qualifications overlapping? These are your keyword skills. Add them to your resume. But don’t fill your resume to the brim with keywords. You don’t want to make a resume that gets flagged by Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software as spam.

4. Include Numbers And Details

Recruiters are looking for keyword skills, so help them find these skills on your resume. You can grab their attention by adding numbers and details. They also prove your achievements.

Here’s an example from the resume experience section of a professional applying for a job in customer service:

Significantly increased customer satisfaction.

Now let’s add some figures and details to this description:

Increased customer satisfaction by 12% through staff training.

Which one sounds more persuasive? By adding this type of information, you’ll create a resume that helps convince recruiters that you can achieve similar results in the position they’re trying to fill.

5. Pick The Right Font

[pullquote]The font of your resume is more important than you think.[/pullquote] It’s not only about aesthetics but about the readability of your document. Choosing the right font, you’ll write a resume that is easy to scan for both the ATS robots and human recruiters.

Don’t choose fonts like Comic Sans, Courier, or Times New Roman. Instead, go for Arial, Verdana, or Helvetica.

6. Proofread Your Resume

You can’t deliver a resume full of mistakes or typos. Even if you’ve got all it takes to get this job, you’ll make a poor impression on recruiters. Read your resume twice. Use tools like Grammarly or the Language Tool to check your resume.

Ask someone else to proofread your resume as well. They’ll be able to tell you whether it represents you and your skills accurately.

7. Improve Your Online Presence

What is the first thing recruiters do after reading a resume? They check the candidate online. They look at the first few pages of Google results. They browse through social media and other online platforms.

That’s why you need to make sure that your resume and online profiles tell the same professional story. Include the same information in all your social profiles. Update all dates and contact information. Any discrepancies are bound to look suspicious.

Key Takeaway

Having the right experience and right skills is not enough to land an interview, let alone a job. It’s the way it is all presented that counts.

Knowing how to write a resume that does justice to your skills and presents you as an attractive candidate is well worth your time. Because that’s how you land the jobs you want most.