WINNING AT APPLICATIONS
CRAFTING THE PERFECT RESUME Your resume is your golden ticket to getting a shot at the job interview for the position of your dreams. Here is a guide to presenting a resume that stands out.
A
s hiring managers only have enough time to take a quick glance at your resume, you need to quickly hook their attention and reel them in for a second look. Most importantly, you have to strategically customise every resume sent to employers. Here are some tips on how you can do so.
1. Understand each role you are applying for Recruiters are looking for candidates with the best fit for the advertised role from the deluge of applications received. Your resume needs to be highly relevant and targeted to the role you are looking at. One easy way to ensure this is by indicating your career objective or a key summary of your skill sets, or both, right at the top of your resume. After that, customise your career objective and summary of skill sets accordingly for each role you are applying for.
On the other hand, for a business management position, state the relevant areas of expertise such as executive-level communication, strategic planning, business analysis and client management.
3. Show relevant experiences
pandemic? Put that in – you can talk about the emerging skills employers appreciate during your job interview, such as corporate social responsibility and cross-cultural fluency. Similarly, part-time work in a services or teaching role indicates your ability to serve and cater to the needs of clients, including managing others’ expectations – a key skill needed for any young professional.
Include short-term gigs, internships or co-curricular activities related to the role you are applying for. Spent a summer taking care of elephants in Thailand before the
2. Highlight your skill sets and expertise When hiring managers sift through the huge stack of resumes received, they look for keywords shown in the job description. These keywords are often specific skill sets, which you can show as one-liner summaries with each work experience listed. For instance, if you are listing a marketing experience, use a line or two to highlight the key areas of expertise that you have gained, such as market research, market sizing, interviewing, public relations and business development.
36 | THE SMU CAREER GUIDE 2021
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