Create a resume that really gets read

When searching for your dream job, your resume is the first step towards an interview. Before you hit the ‘apply’ button on that recruitment website, you'll want to critically evaluate your resume to make sure you're putting your best foot forward.

Your resume needs to compete with those that have been sent to the recruiter from the other applicants. But how do you make your resume stand out in a pile of hundreds?

We've got some tips to make sure your job application really gets read.

Published in: Career

Create a resume that really gets read from CPA Australia

Transcript

• 1. Get hired with a great resume
• 2. Your resume is the first step towards an interview. But how do you make your resume stand out in a pile of hundreds? No stress, we’ve got the tips to help.
• 3. Start with a summary Grab the recruiter’s attention with a short summary that highlights your best skills and achievements. If the recruiter likes what they read in the first few sentences they’ll want to read on.
• 4. Show off your skills You need to show how your education and previous experience has given you the skills to fulfil the role requirements. Include any additional training you’ve done and list in reverse chronological order your employment history using start and end dates.
• 5. Address the key selection criteria Just like you tailor your cover letter for a specific job, you need to tailor your resume. Use the key selection criteria listed in the job advert and link the duties and responsibilities of your past experience to it.
• 6. Leave the personal stuff out While your hobbies and interests show you’re a well-rounded person, they take up valuable resume space and don’t prove your ability to do the job. You can also leave off details like your date of birth, gender, relationship status – none of these affect your ability to do the job.
• 7. Watch the length Recruiters won’t read pages and pages of resume and in fact it will reflect poorly on you. Keep your resume to one or two pages depending on your employment history. Don’t forget you can go into more detail in the interview.
• 8. Don’t be a cliché Delete all of those predictable words like ‘innovative’ and ‘motivated’ – they have all been said too many times before. Instead stand out by illustrating your strengths using examples not buzz word vocabulary.
• 9. Proof read Don’t just rely on the software spell check to pick up mistakes, take the time to proof read your resume and then proof it again. Just one mistake can put you into the rejection pile – don’t let that be because of a typo.
• 10. Presentation You may think a different layout or quirky format will make your resume stand out – it could, but for the wrong reason. You want to keep the format simple so the recruiter can easily navigate through the information and quickly identify the criteria they are looking for.
• 11. Cover letter There is only one rule here – always write a cover letter unless the job advert specifically says you don’t have to. Think of your cover letter as our elevator pitch – you haven’t got long so get to the point and address the selection criteria using the key words from the job advert as possible.
• 12. Be contactable So you’ve impressed the recruiter with your cover letter and resume, now they want to call you so make sure it’s easy for them to do so. List your contact details clearly; phone number and email address. Now is also the time to get a new email address if your current one is the same one you’ve had since school. Get a professional email address that uses your name.