You are an experienced professional looking for a new job.

Or you might be a recent grad, or maybe you’re trying to break into a new industry.

Recruiters and hiring managers see a lot of resumes on a daily basis. And a resume has 20 – 30 seconds to convince the reader to keep reading.

Keep reading for 5 proven tips for getting your resume noticed.

Formatting is King

What’s the first thing that a reader notices when they look at the document? Is it a clever title, or a sharp introduction?

Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with the content:

The human eye immediately notices symmetry and a clean, easy to read layout.

Ensure your margins are consistent with enough white space on all 4 sides of the document. Format lists into tidy columns, justify sentences and paragraphs, and consider your font.  Don’t use too many sizes or types of font in one document.  The fonts that are easiest to read?

  • Arial
  • Cambria
  • Calibri
  • Garamond
  • Times New Roman
  • Helvetica

Get to the Point

Get in, leave an impression, and get out.

The resume that tells a clear, concise story is the one that gets noticed. One that can be scanned quickly.

Unless an item is critically relevant, limit your Experience, Education, and Volunteer history to no more than 15 years.

Too many points are tedious to read. Condense your Experience section to 3 – 5 key achievements for each job that you’ve got listed.

While you don’t want to sacrifice vital information to get to that ideal 1 – 2 pages, and you certainly don’t want to crowd your margins, edit each word ruthlessly.

Skip the “filler” and leave the hobbies and interests section out of your resume. But wait – you don’t have to separate personal from professional!

Work hobbies and interests can be combined into your Executive Summary and Key Skills sections instead.  Here’s how:

  • Do you have a passion for Dungeons & Dragons? Then you probably have a love of strategy.
  • How about rebuilding classic cars? You’re methodical and curious.
  • Do you spend your evenings at the gym? You have a growth mindset.

These strengths and skills are valuable to any employer!

Ditch the Objective

If you’ve ever had an Objective section on your resume, it might have looked something like this:

“Experienced professional looking to secure a leadership position in sales.”

It doesn’t command attention. Why?

Because your future employer already knows what your Objective is: to get the job.

And your resume isn’t about the job, it’s about you. And this critical section needs to entice your audience to discover more about you.

By replacing the Objective with an Executive Summary, you can showcase your personality and your strongest skills, and you don’t need to revise it for every application. Here’s an example:

“A detail-oriented professional with a background in sales and a passion for strategy. An engaged and collaborative team player who thrives in an enterprising and fast-paced environment.”

By providing a snapshot of your profile and ideal work environment, you can write a much stronger introduction that encourages your audience to keep reading.

Feature Your Key Skills

What comes after your Executive Summary?

A list of your key skills. A list format in between sections balances the layout and is easy for the eye to scan.

First, do your research. Search and read a selection of target job postings, and take note of any keywords. Once you have a list of about 20 in-demand skills, cross reference them with your own skill set. These are the ones you want to feature first.

Here’s an essential clue: Soft skills are more in-demand than ever.

  • Creative problem solving
  • Communication
  • Public speaking
  • Relationship building
  • Teamwork
  • Critical thinking

Identify your own soft skills (you might find some hints by thinking about your hobbies and interests!) and make sure they’re included in your list, as well as any industry-specific programs or systems that you’re familiar with.

Consult a Professional Resume Writer

Writing is an art. A resume writer knows all the tips and tricks to craft a bold, attention-grabbing document.

They will take the time to get to know your personality and your goals. They can help identify and showcase your strongest achievements (maybe even some that you haven’t considered before) and will help you apply with confidence.

A good resume writer can tell your story in a way that shows hiring managers where your career journey is headed… and why their company should consider hiring you.

 

Sauce Recruitment is here for you on your insurance career journey.

Give us a call. You have nothing to lose.