5 actions to create an attention grabbing resume

A resume must be many things in the modern job market – attractive, compelling, and captivating. Many job openings are posted online today. This makes one job posting visible to millions of job seekers worldwide, instantly. As a result, companies get swamped with job applications for open positions.

Hiring managers receive more resumes than they can possibly read for one job advertisement. So, how do they sort through those resumes? They merely scan them. Your resume must get a few things right to impress a hiring manager and grab their attention during this short resume scan.

Tailor your resume for the job

The employer will ask for a set of qualifications from their candidates in the job advertisement. Write your resume to address those requirements. Your resume must be written concisely to display the skills, experience, and qualifications the hiring manager is looking for. Irrelevant work history will not get you noticed as the ideal candidate for the job. Review the job description for keywords and incorporate those terms into your resume.

Add resume elements that engage the reader immediately

Your name must be very prominent on your resume, followed by the job title you are applying for. Then, create a catchy resume headline that attracts the reader. It must be a single line that describes two or three of your best qualities and a professional win. Then, create a killer resume summary. Your resume summary is a concise statement about your career that lists a few of the most relevant skills, qualifications, and experiences. Be sure to incorporate a professional achievement or a two into your resume summary.

Load the top half with impressive details

Hiring managers scan your resume in an F pattern or a Z pattern. This means, the top one-third of your resume gets scanned first, and then, the rest of your document. You must load the first half of your resume with your most impressive qualifications to impress the reader. Choose a chronological resume format and start filling in the most recent and most relevant experiences first.

Describe past jobs strategically

It is best to mention only the relevant jobs to the new position when you describe your experience on your resume. However, if you have to add jobs that are not directly related to the role, you can highlight your transferable skills in each role. Select a few professional achievements from each position and emphasize how you used your transferable skills to accomplish those wins.

Write STAR bullet points

When you describe your professional achievements in a resume, your bullet points have a lot of power. Each bullet point must be a concise statement that packs a punch. Start each bullet point with an action verb for more impact. Use adjectives to describe your experience. Write STAR bullet points to really bring out the best of your achievements. When organizing your bullet points, arrange the biggest achievements higher up on the list.