Today, the job market is competitive. Many professionals were laid off during the early days of COVID-19, and others are joining them weekly, causing the number of job seekers to soar. Additionally, the new year is traditionally a time when professionals reflect on their career and decide to make a change, causing them to launch job searches, as well.
However, even with competition rising, that doesn’t mean you can’t secure a new position. By making a few small tweaks to your resume, you can stand out from the crowd. If your resume needs a quick overhaul, here are some tips that can help.
Craft a Compelling Professional Summary
In many ways, the professional summary at the top of your resume is like an elevator pitch. It’s a brief moment where you have the opportunity to capture the hiring manager’s attention, drawing them in and intriguing them enough to have them keep reading.
Ideally, you want to target your professional summary heavily. Cover skills or expertise that is most relevant to the role, ensuring this initial introduction to what you have to offer packs a real punch.
Showcase Your Remote Work Skills
While COVID-19 vaccines are being dispersed, it will take time for the pandemic to fully calm. As a result, many employers are continuing to have their teams work remotely, at least part of the time.
Telecommuting requires a specific skill set to manage well. Communication, self-motivation, accountability, time management, and organization are all crucial if you’re part of a remote team. The same goes for adaptability and self-reliance.
If you have experience working remotely and can provide details that showcase your capabilities in that arena, make sure to include them. That way, the hiring manager won’t doubt your ability to handle your responsibilities while working from home.
Embrace the Hybrid Resume Format
The hybrid resume format allows you to use the best aspects of a chronological resume and a functional resume together. After your professional summary, a hybrid resume format features brief skills or expertise section. Here, you list a choice selection of bullet points that highlight critical capabilities, preferably based on what’s listed as must-haves in the job description.
The benefit of using the skills section is that it draws the eye and gives the hiring manager a second overview of what you have to offer. It allows you to feature crucial skills upfront, increasing the odds that the hiring manager notices them.
Once the skills section is in place, move on to a traditional work history section. Augment what you’ve already shared by discussing accomplishments that showcase your skills, not just listing your past duties.
Quantify the Details
On a resume, numbers stand out visually. By quantifying the details in your resume, you’re not just drawing the eye, but you’re also providing the hiring manager with critical context about your achievements. Numbers can make an accomplishment even more impressive, so use them whenever they are advantageous.
Ultimately, each of the tips above can make your resume more attractive to hiring managers. If you’d like to learn more about how you can achieve job search success, Alpha Consulting team can help. Contact us today.
