A resume that gets you the perfect job
What is a CV? According to the definition in the Robert’s Dictionary, a CV is: a collection of information about a person’s marital status, abilities, qualifications and past activities. But more importantly, a CV is used to tell your story and to SELL it to recruiters. This document must be powerful, attractive and simple. Your information should be easy to read, because you only have 7 seconds to convince a recruiter to hire you. That’s right, that’s the average amount of time they spend on your application.
In this article, we will show you how to write a convincing resume that will get you the job you want. Whether you have 10 years of work experience or none at all. Here are some tips on how to produce an effective and salesy resume:
Study your professional sector
Before you even think about writing your CV, we advise you to define your professional objective. Many people make the mistake of creating a CV that is too general and ultimately not suitable for any company. You need to know who you want to apply to. Start by thinking about the type of job you want and the different companies you aspire to work for.
Once you’ve done that, you can look at sites like Linkedin to find people in similar positions and see what words and structure they use for their resumes.
Choose a resume template
Every day, recruiters look at hundreds of resumes, most of which are similar or poorly structured. To stand out and present a compelling application to hiring managers, the best option is to use a resume template. This way, you ensure that you make a great first impression with a well-structured and attractive resume.
Why use a CV template?
- You save time in the design process
- You get a CV that meets the requirements of recruiters
- You benefit from a winning and complete resume structure.
- You get a professional resume that passes the 7-second test.
Use keywords
What really makes the difference between your resume and someone else’s is the words you will use. The words you use are crucial, because they are what “sell” you and get you through the ATS test.
What is ATS? ATS is an acronym that stands for Applicant Tracking System.
It is a system of application tracking tools used by recruiters to filter applications. They sort through the resumes, telling the system to keep only those resumes that contain the words they consider most important. But what are those words and where do you find them? It’s simple, before you write your resume, research the positions you want to apply for. Look for words that are recurrent and use them in your CV.
Be careful not to change the words you see. If the position you are applying for is titled “Administrative Assistant”, do not state in your resume that you are an “Administrative Assistant”. Even if they are similar, the TSA will not detect your resume.
Include your personal information
A step that seems trivial but is too often overlooked. Too many people end up never being called because they simply forget to put their contact information.
It is necessary to indicate:
- your name ;
- your complete address (or just your city);
- your telephone numbers
- your email address
- your website, if you have a staff
Write an introductory summary
The summary is a short paragraph explaining to the recruiter why you are the best candidate for their position. It is not a summary of your resume, but rather 2 to 4 catchy and selling sentences to highlight your strengths.
It is recommended that the introductory summary be placed at the top of your resume. It can be placed at the bottom of the “your contact information” section or at the top of the “your work experience” section.
List your skills
Whether you are looking for a new job in the same field or changing industries. It is important to put your skills forward on your resume. If you are changing fields, you should know that there are so-called transferable skills.
To help you write your skills on your resume. Consult the job offers that interest you to see what types of skills are required. Write the ones you have on your resume.
Here are some universally transferable skills that are effective in all fields:
- Communication and listening
- Teamwork
- adaptability
- Organizational skills
List your experiences in reverse chronological order
You don’t have to list your work experience in reverse chronological order, but it is highly recommended. This way, the recruiter will be able to read your resume more easily, which increases your chances of impressing them.
If you have no or very little experience: highlight your internships, training courses, summer jobs and volunteer activities. Detail the tasks you have performed and the skills you have acquired. This is always a good way to show the recruiter that despite your lack of experience, you are a committed person.
If you are a professional, whether you are retraining or not, keep your resume concise. List only those experiences that are relevant to the new position you are seeking. Limit your resume to one page and detail your responsibilities in a quantitative manner. For example, if you are a web developer, instead of stating that you integrate mock-ups, state that you integrate between 5 and 10 mock-ups each month. Again, use the same vocabulary that is used in the jobs you are applying for.
Write a resume that employers love
Now that we’ve listed the key points of a good resume, don’t forget to include a section for your education, language skills and interests. After these last steps, you will finally have a resume that employers love. The one that will allow you to land the job you want so badly.