In today’s increasingly competitive job market, it pays to have a resume that stands out. It’s simply not enough to have all the requisite qualifications for a job. Instead, you need to find a way to distinguish yourself from other candidates.
What can you do to make sure your resume stands out?
Developing Yourself
Your first order of business is to develop yourself. If you’re a more skilled, more impressive candidate, it’s only natural that your resume is going to be more impressive.
Invest in more skills and certifications.
One of the best things you can do is invest in more skills and certifications. The more concrete skills and certifications you list on your resume, provided they’re relevant to the job you want, the better. For example, you can get forklift certified online and qualify yourself to operate forklifts safely and effectively. If you’re applying for a job in a warehouse, or anywhere else where forklifts are used, you’ll instantly differentiate yourself from competing candidates.
Accrue some measurable achievements.
It’s also important to accrue some measurable achievements. It’s good to have multiple years of experience in a position, but what do you have to show for it? What goals have you achieved? What milestones have you reached? How have you measurably helped your employer? The more specific you are, the better.
Flesh out your full work history.
Make sure you include your full work history, to the extent that it’s relevant to your target position. Don’t skip over an older, relevant position just because it isn’t recent.
Strive for a flashier title.
If you can, consider pushing for a flashier title. Slightly adjusting your title can make a big difference in how recruiters and hiring managers perceive you. For example, “VP of Sales” generally looks more impressive than “Sales Manager.” Even if you don’t get a pay raise, this title can do a lot of heavy lifting.
Consider volunteering.
Volunteer experience isn’t always something you should include on a resume, but in some situations, it can elevate your credentials. Consider volunteering for good local causes and listing that experience on your resume. Even if it doesn’t help you much, you’ll be positively contributing to your community, and you’ll get a chance to network with professionals in your area.
Polishing Your Resume
Now that you have some extra material to include in your resume, you can work on polishing the document itself.
Highlight your unique differentiators.
Focus on the things that make you unique. It’s likely that every candidate for this job has at least some background elements in common. So what makes you uniquely qualified? What experiences and achievements are unlikely to be rivaled by your peers?
Cut the fluff.
It’s tempting to add more to your resume to help it stand out, but it might be even more beneficial to cut the fluff. Get rid of anything that isn’t relevant to your target position and try to be as concise as possible when listing your skills and experiences.
Inject your personality.
Hiring managers get bored seeing the same templated resumes over and over. You’ll stand out and make a much better impression if you find a way to inject your personality into your work.
Account for automation.
Most big companies use automated software to scan and score resumes from candidates. If you don’t include keywords relevant to the position, you might be screened out before you even get a chance to join an interview. Optimize your resume to make it through this initial screening process so you don’t get lost in the shuffle.
The Cover Letter
Keep in mind that your resume is only one piece of the equation. If you want to help your resume stand out, it’s also important that you write a compelling cover letter. Many job candidates make the mistake of copying and pasting their cover letter to every job they apply to, but this is only going to hinder you. At best, your cover letter is going to seem generic, and at worst, your employer is going to detect that this is a template you’re using for every application.
Instead, write a custom cover letter for every job. Note the specific details of the job you’re applying to as well as the business offering the position – and potentially even the hiring manager you’re speaking with. Be professional, but show off your personality and be honest about your motivations.
If you can follow these strategies, you should have no trouble standing out, even in competitive fields. You may not get the first job you apply to, and in fact, you may continue to face struggles along the way, but you’ll be strategically positioned much more favorably if you do this work.
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