How to Write a Kick Ass Resume

If you’re applying to what looks like an amazing job, chances are that there are at least hundreds of others who are vying for that same position, too. In order to stand out, your resume has to be killer. Recruiters spend an average of just 6 seconds scanning a resume (source), so be sure that your resume is written well enough to make those seconds count. Here are some tips that will help you write a kick-ass resume.

Step 1: Choose the Right Resume Template

You could be the perfect candidate with years of experience but, with a bad resume design, the recruiter is likely to dump it in the “next” pile. Designing the ideal resume template takes skill, time, and a lot of patience. Thankfully, there are a ton of free resume templates available that will get you started without all of the hassle of doing it yourself. A few of our favourite websites with these resources are:

Monster: It’s a good idea to tailor your resume to the industry that you’re in. Monster’s free resume templates are categorised as such, making it easy to find what you’re looking for.

Click Here for Monster

Google Docs: With a Gmail address, you can have access to a gallery of free resume templates. Each one is rated by users, allowing you to sort them by quality.

Instant Resume Template: This site has 248 free, standard resumes for you to download and make your own.

Click Here for Instant Resume Template

Use Keywords

A lot of companies use automated recruitment tools that sort through resumes, only picking out the ones with relevant keywords. To ensure that yours gets seen by human eyes, make sure you’re including some of the skills and trigger words that were listed in the job description. Every resume you submit should be optimised for the specific posting you’re applying to, so be sure to tweak these keywords so they align with the ones the company uses.

Include Relevant Experience Only

In that 6 seconds that a recruiter is looking at your resume, you need to show them that your experience makes you the ideal candidate for this job, so include relevant experience only. If you’re sending your resume to a financial firm, it’s unlikely that they’ll want to see that you were a 5-star dog-walker in your teenage years. Select the two or three recent positions that have best prepared you for the job you’re applying for.

Talk Numbers

Adding concrete, numerical accomplishments to your resume is a great way to grab the attention of recruiters. If you managed a team, quantify it. Don’t just write that you juggled multiple clients, detail how many. Numbers act as tangible proof that backs up your experience so look for ways you can include them.

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Don’t feel defeated if you don’t have a long list of experience! You can bulk up this section by including any internships or volunteer work that is relevant to the position. For recent graduates, including a short list of related course work is acceptable, too. Use what you can as long as it would be viewed as valuable to the company.