Waiting is the worst part of the job hunt. After sifting through listings and sending out your resumes, you’re now stuck in an endless spiral of waiting for someone to identify you as a potential candidate for an interview. You’re not sure why your resume isn’t getting any hits — did it get lost in the mail? Were your skills set a mismatch? Or do employers just not like you?
Before you descend into a swamp of overthinking, here are some tips to up your resume game and get yourself noticed by potential employers.
1. Take a results-first approach
When writing about your job scope in previous roles, be sure to keep your descriptions results-oriented and focus on your achievements instead of just recounting your day-to-day tasks. While it’s important to share details about what you did in a previous job, dozens of other applicants hailing from similar backgrounds and industries likely have the same shared experiences as well. The results you’ve achieved at work will be what helps you stand out from the other applicants and pique the interest of your potential employers.
These results do not have to be spectacular achievements; it doesn’t matter if you didn’t win any awards or make any groundbreaking deals at your last job. Your results could range from small everyday wins, or quantifiable numbers to show your capabilities and experiences.
For instance, instead of highlighting that you’ve “organized large-scale company events such as team bonding sessions and annual retreats”, try something like “Effectively organized 7 annual large-scale organization events for a team of more than 300 employees each time, including team bonding sessions and annual retreats.”
The use of numbers here helps to quantify your experience and provides better context to impress any potential employers. You might want to know how to highlight specific skills on your resume.
2. It’s okay to use that holiday photo – sometimes.
Many resume coaches advocate the use of a professional headshot as a photo on your resume and LinkedIn profile — but such photos can sometimes appear awkward and overly formal, especially if you didn’t have the best photographer or weren’t feeling your best on the day of the shoot.
If you’re applying to a start-up, creative agency, or a company with a fun, casual working culture, consider using a more casual photo. Moreover, photos taken on holiday or at events where you’re feeling more lighthearted and excited generally look more genuine and make you feel more personable.
However, steer clear from photos with elements like alcohol or weapons that might lean towards the controversial side, as this might have the reverse effect of making employers form stereotypes of you before they even get to meet you.
Of course, as with all resume and LinkedIn photos, make sure you are appropriately dressed in any photo and are not wearing any accessories which cover your face or have negative connotations. But whether or not to include a photo in your resume depends on the country in which you are living. While, for some, putting a headshot on your resume may seem like a standard practice, for others, it seems entirely foreign. According to Novoresume and Zety, you should not include a resume photo if you are applying for jobs in the following countries:
- United States
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Ireland
According to Zety, recruiters in the aforementioned countries are bias-conscious and worry about discrimination lawsuits. As a result, they discard resumes with pictures out of policy. As a job seeker, it is important to ready yourself for such cultural differences when applying for jobs.
3. Let your skills shine through with clarity and specificity
Resumes were made to allow potential employers to have a preview of what you as a potential candidate can offer and how you might be a good fit for the job opening.
Many candidates are inclined to create a self-defined ranking system to demonstrate their proficiency in various skills and technical aspects. For instance, a candidate might indicate that they have a 4 out of 5 proficiency level in using Microsoft PowerPoint and a 3 out of 5 proficiency level in using Adobe Photoshop.
The definition of being proficient or skilled may vary across employers depending on their industry and company needs. Using such a ranking system confuses employers as they have no idea what a 3, 4, or 5 means for you in this case, and will not be able to determine whether your proficiency is sufficient for the role they’re hiring for.
Instead, drop that ranking system and replace it with more specific information about your competencies. This can be in the form of certifications (e.g. attended Essentials of Adobe Photoshop Workshop last year), or simply a one-liner description of what you’re able to do (e.g. create presentations with animations and timed speaker notes in Microsoft Powerpoint).
For languages, it can also be helpful to refer to the guidelines for international language certifications (such as the JLPT, TOEIC, and TOPIK) to help determine your proficiency level, even if you don’t have the certification. For example, instead of indicating a vague 3 out of 5-star proficiency in the Japanese language, you can state that you’re “able to read the news and converse about everyday topics in Japanese” to provide your employer with more context. Moreover, it is important to know the specific skills employers are looking for so you can tailor your resume accordingly.
Help employers notice your resume
At the end of the day, always choose to focus on clarity when crafting your resume. Your potential employers are sifting through dozens, if not hundreds, of candidates each day, and keeping your key messages buried in length text or overcomplicated resume designs will just mean your resume gets buried in the stack as well.
Help employers spot you with a resume that’s concise and authentic and provides them with just the right amount and type of information they need to get you to the next stage — the interview. Above all, stay positive and safe on your job hunting journey.