Standing Out with Your Resume

With so many other job applicants out there vying for limited roles, how can you ensure your resume stands out?

1. Customise your resume for each resume for each applicationapplication

You need to catch a recruiter’s attention from the very beginning of your resume and reel them in as it goes along. So, be sincere and genuine in each tailored document sent out instead of sending the same version out over and over again. Understand what each company is looking for and think about what you have that would meet their needs and make you the best candidate.

At the top of your resume, you can indicate your career objectives, a key summary of your skill sets, or both. One of the best ways to customise your resume is to ensure your career objectives and summary of skill sets are set according to what the company needs so that it is more relevant and targeted.

2. Highlight your skill sets and areas skill sets and areas of expertiseof expertise

Hiring managers don’t have the time to look through what you did in your previous position in detail, but they do shortlist resumes based on specific skill sets. So if you don’t have the summary of your skill sets at the top of your resume, be sure to write a few lines at the start of each work experience to summarise the core skill sets in each position.

For instance, if you’re applying for a business development position, use a line or two to highlight some key skills such as business analysis, communication and client management.

On the other hand, if you’re looking at the role of a talent acquisition specialist, then the relevant areas of expertise would be recruiting talents, conducting talent assessments and managing employee profiles.

3. Add relevant experiences and/or experiences and/or valuable skill setsvaluable skill sets

Don’t limit your experiences to just work-related matters. Any short projects you’ve worked on or beneficial courses you’ve attended can be listed down as well.

These gigs may not necessarily relate to your course of study, but they do relate to other sectors such as volunteering, poverty alleviation, communication and even crossculture fluency.

On a similar note, a parttime job in a service industry or teaching role can indicate your willingness to serve and cater to the needs of clients, including managing others’ expectations, things that are important for any young professional.

4. Show the numbersnumbers

Impact can be measured in numbers and later elaborated on in detail. Think of any differences you’ve made in previous companies or how you’ve grown through each and every academic and professional experience.

If you helped expand a client pool in your previous role, be specific on the number of clients you brought in during that period of time. Similarly, if you tutored students part-time, you can indicate how you helped your students grow in specific areas, such as encouraging them to read more.

This lets the employer know that you’re both a doer and a thinker, and that you’re also a selfstarter willing to come up with your own strategies.

5. Showcase your strengths and strengths interestsand interests

Here’s where you can really make yourself stand out among other candidates – what are some of your unique skills and areas of interests that can help you professionally and allow you to contribute to the company?

These strengths and interests can range from your mastery of a second or third language to your interest and knowledge of a specific geographic market. When you include this information in your resume, you help your prospective employer get to know you better and draw them into thinking about how else they can further tap on your talents.

IT and technology skills are greatly valued these days, so if you have a keen interest in coding or programming, take up online courses to further your interest – and don’t forget to state the certificates which you’ve attained.

Apart from highlighting your educational and extracurricular awards, achievements and leadership qualities, briefly include your personal interests at the end of your resume too.

Participation in team sports is of particular interest to employers as it indicates a high measure for success in a corporate environment. An ability to play a musical instrument goes the same way; it demonstrates your focus and discipline. First impressions may not be everything, but they definitely do make a difference. Likewise, submitting a top-notch resume will help you stand out!

6. Time your submissionssubmissions

Last but not least, remember that time is precious. Try not to wait till the last minute to submit your job application! Not only will you need time to proofread your resume, but some companies may choose to bring forward submission deadlines due to overwhelming responses.