7 Resume Building Tips for 2021

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Finding a job can be a tough task, especially when the economy is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The job search can take weeks and months. It seems that all job seekers know this feeling: you have created a resume, sent numerous applications, but there are no emails, and no phone calls from the hiring managers.

By far, the best way to draw a recruiter’s attention is to write your resume wisely. That is why we’ve decided to gather some valuable secrets, tips and nuances – follow them to craft a winning resume!

Be Ready to Invest Efforts

Many great professionals with unique qualifications make a huge mistake by underestimating the resume’s key role. Some candidates hope to prove themselves during the interview. However, even if you are an expert in a particular field, without a good resume, you may not even get a chance to be invited.

So, take the time to think your resume through down to the finest detail. After all, such self-presentation of you as a specialist will help employers understand who you are.

Of course, job seekers don’t always have the opportunity to invest time and effort in writing. In such circumstances, more and more applicants seek professional help. 

Fortunately, you can build a resume with the help of experienced writers. Turning to a resume builder can definitely increase your chances to land a job since all of your accomplishments and key skills will be highlighted in the best way possible. 

Focus on Priorities

Recruiters review hundreds of resumes a day. In order to draw attention to your candidacy, it is important to place emphasis correctly. Then, the person who reads the text will want to study it more carefully.

First of all, the recruiters skim through your name, surname, past jobs, company names and positions. They try to find something that corresponds to the description of a particular job opening. Basically, any job description mentions original technical terms and keywords. It is recommended to include them in your CV, describing your career and work experience.

Yet, more and more companies use ATS systems that scan incoming CVs before the recruiter starts looking through them. Such ATS bots check your resume for the required information. Thus, your application will get into the recruiter’s hands, only if the resume-scanning software finds the necessary keywords in there.

Pay Attention to Readability

Keep it simple – your job application should be easy to comprehend. Try to look at your resume from the recruiter’s point of view. These specialists focus on the portrait of a potential candidate, their skills and experiences, comparing many resumes. Thus, your task is to make your CV easy to read, so that the hiring manager can quickly grab the key information.

Make sure that the resume is error-free, the paragraphs are separated and the same font is used. Avoid clichés and general expressions. The style of presentation should be official, but understandable and lively as well.

Career advice experts note that your CV has to be the result of comprehending your experience and structuring it. Be laconic: the optimal size of a resume is one, maximum two pages. Of course, a person with ten years of experience won’t be able to describe their entire career in detail using two pages. That is why it’s better to concentrate on the most relevant information.

Mention Your LinkedIn Profile

Choose LinkedIn when putting links to your social media profiles. Since LinkedIn is actually your online resume, don’t forget to update the information about your achievements there, as well. Update your profile at least once every six months, add changes, new responsibilities and results. It’s also useful to get referrals from people you’ve worked with to help represent your experiences better.

The profile on this platform can be considered as a strategic tool. Why? If your candidacy is not suitable for a particular job, the recruiter will be able to contact you in the future when looking for a specialist for another position. 

Have a Clear Goal

It is recommended to mention the position you are applying for right below your name. This way, you will be able to position yourself in the job market and highlight the purpose of your resume. Remember: a CV is a weapon that must hit right on target, in a specific vacancy that you want to fill.

You shouldn’t mention many positions at a time – if you are interested in several areas, it is better to create multiple resumes and adapt each for different vacancies.

Be sure to avoid vague sentences and ambiguous wording. These are templates that are often copied from the Internet – besides, such clichés won’t tell the employer anything specific about you.

Highlight Your Education

It is important to include not only your basic education in the CV, but something extra as well. You can list the awards, grants and scholarships that you received during your studies. Mention all training sessions, workshops and seminars that you attended. Don’t forget about the online courses, too. People who constantly invest time in self-development and attend professional courses are valuable for any employer.

Use Results While Describing Your Experience

Work experience should be described in reverse chronological order, starting with the last job. It is important not to just list periods (years and months), company names, your roles and responsibilities. Pay special attention to the results of your work.

These can be numbers, digital indicators, projects, ideas that you proposed, and they were later implemented. For example, mention something like “Completed 10 commercial projects”, “Organized 75 training events”, or “Introduced a new training program for the sales department”.

It is essential to answer the question “What have I done? ” instead of “What did I do?” You need to show that you are thinking in terms of the result and specifics. For instance, 

• When noting experience in managing large teams, indicate the number of employees;
• When writing about delivering presentations, indicate which audience they were held for.

Details like that definitely add weight to your words, showing your competencies. 

Final Thoughts

There are sections that many job seekers add to their resume, even though they aren’t mandatory. For example, hobbies. For the most part, you should only list them if they are professionally relevant. So, make sure the hobbies in your resume show devotion or interest in the job you are applying to.