Won’t you agree that today’s job hunting scene is almost unrecognizable from previous experiences?
Many organizations now consider remote work a common method of operation as many employees work from home nowadays. Others are still trying to recover from layoffs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak or are among the increasing number of workers who have resigned recently.
Regardless of whatever ship you’re riding, it’s time to update your boring résumé in 2022.
Here are tips on building a CV worthy of your dream career if you’re beginning from scratch or looking for new opportunities in your profession.
- Choose a resume format and font
When it comes to resume format and style, keep it simple. Resumes with F-pattern and E-pattern designs resemble how human eyes read web pages and hold a recruiter’s focus more than those lined along the center or from right to left.
Although there is no particular font for resumes, you must maintain the same design. To bring a recruiter’s attention to important sections of your resume, experiment with different fonts and sizes.
- Add your skills with bullet points
If the interviewer is only scanning your resume, bullet points to highlight your skills are an excellent way to stand out.
You can also include creative action verbs to describe your skills. In your initial bullet point, add the most valuable information. Continue to prioritize and rank items in order of significance and relevance to employers.
- Highlight how you make an impact
Use descriptive words and list your significant professional experience in chronological order.
Don’t simply mention your previous positions. You’ll need to highlight specific “successes” to show you’re worth a recruiting manager’s time. The most useful statistics build on your skills section, bonus points if they indicate a record of growth, sales, and profitability.
Impact does not necessarily have to be evaluated by statistics. Anything that indicates achievement can work, like cultural enhancements, special projects, and customer growth.
Make it short and to the point. Build it a “best of” presentation by focusing on a few key takeaways.
- Include descriptive keywords
Please don’t fall into the trap of delivering the same basic resume to each job application. Rather, spend a few precious minutes matching it to the keywords and phrases.
You’ll be far more likely to advance to the following round of interviews, especially if they use an applicant tracking system.
Avoid stuffing as keywords as possible into your message or repeating the same words over and again – you’ll end up sounding like a robot. Get as near as you can to the words of the job description.
- Know what to leave off your resume
A cv is more like a detailed record of work experience for many job seekers. Work experience, on the other hand, does not always indicate that it belongs on your resume. A lengthy list of every job you’ve ever had would make it difficult for companies to get the information they need and may unintentionally raise a red flag.
Also, no salary specifications, infographics, or photos should be included. If you’re looking for a remote job or want to persuade a hiring manager to consider a remote candidate, you can also leave off your residential address.
Finally, resist the need to list reasons for leaving prior jobs.
Let Your Resume Shine in 2022
Your resume is a high-level overview of your qualifications, experience, and achievements.
You only have 30 seconds or less to make a good impression on recruiters during an initial review of your resume. That is not very long.
Avoid cluttering up your resume with irrelevant content that could make it difficult for recruiters to identify the most important aspects of your career.
With these tips, you can focus on your strongest points that will help you land an interview and a job offer.