You’re currently sitting at a desk, word document all ready to go, with one paragraph that describes you and your qualifications. And, unfortunately, you know it won’t cut it with the company to which you’re about to send your resume. What do you do if writing isn’t your bag…especially writing about yourself? This is serious stuff because your future is at stake here.
You may wish to consider working with a professional resume service like https://www.arcresumes.com/ in order to create the best resume possible that demonstrates exactly what you have to offer to a potential employer. Of course, you might be determined to do this all by yourself, since you know yourself better than anyone else. No matter how you choose to write your resume, here are some of my top resume hacks to land that dream job!
Resume Hacks to Land That Dream Job #1: Focus on Measurable Accomplishments
You don’t necessarily need to go get more education or experience to land your dream job. One of the best resume hacks I know is to make your achievements look more impressive. How do I do that, Kellie? Easy, when describing your accomplishments, focus on measurable victories and experience. In other words, if you can put a number, amount, percentage, timeframe, growth scale, or award on it, add it to your resume. Be as specific and detailed as possible about your most impressive achievements. If that place was measurably better after you got there, your new potential employer will be impressed by that. Even if it’s just a small thing that you did, don’t be shy. The point is to show upward mobility and ambition.
Resume Hacks to Land That Dream Job #2: Consider All of Your Work Experience
You may think that an unrelated job, such as food service when you were 17, won’t help you land your dream job now. However, the experience and challenge you encountered in a fast-paced atmosphere might be exactly what your employer is looking for. Your experience is relative, period! You did it…you endured it…it made you who you are today. You may have learned how to toughen up at the restaurant job or how to multitask well. Pick out the best points from each experience that you believe might help win over your future employer. If you need a little extra assistance with formatting, land your dream job with these resumes. Resources like these can help inspire you or jog your memory about things long forgotten.
Resume Hacks To Land That Dream Job #3: Volunteer Work Counts!
If you have some volunteer experience in your arsenal, consider adding it to your resume. This is especially important if your actual job experience is lacking. This can be anything from babysitting, school activities, to caring for animals. And, if you have community or organizational volunteer experience, even better.
That church mission project you took part in as a teenager, or those shifts down a soup kitchen a few years back, could tell your potential employer how responsible and caring you are. Those character attributes are perfect for the current business climate, so be sure to include your volunteer experience.
Resume Hacks To Land That Dream Job #4: Be Specific and Target Your Words
If your resume is looking a little thin, take the opportunity to get specific about your best achievements. And that means also using words wisely. Say what you mean and mean what you say. The perfect length for a resume is somewhere between one full page to two full pages. Sometimes, less is more, though. The truth is, employers look for specific similarities between their job listing and your resume. This initial word search is done by the algorithms on job sites. So, in reality, it may not matter how short or long your resume is, as long as you have the right content.