Looks like it’s time to begin the dreaded job searching process. Whether you’re a student looking for an internship or a recent graduate gearing up for your first job, it’s equally tiresome and painful.
Why do you need a Killer Resume?
Do you know how much time an HR professional will spend on reviewing your resume?
By using an eye tracking technique, a study by Ladders, Inc. revealed that the average screening time for a candidate’s resume is 7.4 seconds.
A Resume is reviewed for 7.4 seconds by the HR team
Here is another mind boggling statistic, According to Glassdoor, every job opening attracts 250 resumes on average out of which 4-6 are invited for an interview and 1 person receives the job offer.
What does this mean for job seekers like you?
It can seem daunting but use the practical tips given below to create a killer resume that will grab the attention of resume reviewers and help get your foot in the door with an interview:
- Choose a creative resume format
- Structure your content
- Tailor your resume for each individual job application
#1 Choose a creative resume format
Moving away from the traditional bullet-pointed resume format will be a welcome change. Modern resumes with a creative format will allow you to add color palettes, infographic designs and help you stand out from the crowd.
Using a modern resume format will give you an edge over your competitors
While it’s best to create your creative resume on Illustrator or Photoshop, it does require some design skills and knowledge of Adobe software. The alternative is to use a free downloadable templates on word and use it as a guide to get creative.
#2 Structure your content
Laying down your content in a structured chronological order is most effective and popular with both recruiters and job seekers.
One Glance is all you get from a recruiter. Be Creative and Make it Count!
- Name, Professional Title & Contact Information – Enter your full name along with your most recent job title. Alternatively, you could also add the job function instead of a designation if you are aiming to transition to a higher position and don’t want to limit your opportunities (eg: ‘marketing’ instead of ‘marketing specialist’). Do not forget to add a professional email address and your phone number – LinkedIn profile/portfolio links are optional.
- Photograph – While there is a little bit of controversy on whether this is a good idea, we strongly recommend adding a picture as it gives a lot more personality to your job application.
- Resume Summary – Write a description entailing your goals, objectives, career path and why you’d be a good fit for the company
- Professional Experience – Include headlines for every position held but provide elaborate tasks and responsibilities for the most recent or most relevant position held. If you don’t have any corporate experience, feel free to add an internship, apprenticeship, part-time volunteer, freelance or academic experience.
If you’re looking to gain some corporate experience, sign up on Qureos. We’ve created our platform specifically for students and recent graduates like you.
What can Qureos do for you?
#1 You will learn through practical hands on mock projects under the guidance of industry mentors with our community of global learners.
#2 You will work on a range of paid micro projects – build your portfolio, gain work experience and build your network.
- Education & Certifications – Add the name of the course, years of study, university name and overall grade (if GPA is higher than 3.5).
- Skills – List a combination of soft (eg: creativity, problem-solving) and hard skills (eg: data analysis, blockchain) especially ones relevant to the job you’re applying for.
- Achievements – Add situations where you achieved or excelled like ‘Captain of the mathletes – won 5 championships’ or ‘surpassed sales targets by 85% in 2020’.
- Additional Sections – Include sections that are personal and will give the reviewer a quick look into who you are – Interests, books you’ve read, hobbies, volunteer work, awards, etc.
#3 Tailor your resume for each individual job application
While generic surveys are so much easier to mindlessly forward, it’s far more effective to tailor your resume to suit the job requirements and get yourself a fighting chance to earn an interview.
According to a research study conducted by Zety, the success rate of job applications is 2-3.4% which means.
Send out over 50 Applications = 3.4% conversion rate = 1.7 – Land a Job
This conversation rate will improve drastically if you send out more targeted resumes keeping the following best practices in mind:
- Dissect the job description and identify keywords and the job requirements
- Insert keywords from the job description to talk similar language on your resume
- Identify all the job requirements in the job description and modify your resume to evidently show that you fulfill the requirements, ideally with metric achievements.
- Use the company’s colors on your resume
- Add the company logo on your resume
- Write your resume in an active voice
- Submit the resume with a PDF format
- Spell check your resume with Grammarly
- Include a cover letter with your resume
- Keep your resume short and to the point – 1 to 2 pages
- Include portfolio or links to other websites if required
- After the application is submitted, reach out to the hiring manager or talent acquisition from the employer and express your motivation to join the company.
Go forth and use these techniques to create a killer resume, get noticed and land your dream job! If you’d like to learn more about all the buzz at Qureos, contact us at hello@qureos.com or check out our socials!