Apply these tips to your resume and land your dream job

One major factor that influences the chances of someone landing a dream job is the resume.

Some job seekers have all the qualifications needed and fit into the role perfectly but still don’t land the job. Most times it is because the recruiter or the company doesn’t see how you are qualified for the role.

A resume is one of the first things every recruiter would see, most times they see the resume before they see the applicant.

It is important that one has properly drafted a great resume that creates a good impression.

The effectiveness of your application will be determined by how you promote your qualifications on your resume, in combination with clever job search techniques.

The question then is, what does one apply to a resume to land that job they have been pushing for?

Here are tips to apply to your resume to land your dream job.

1. Focus on the job you are applying for. While it might be good to show off your past achievements and experiences. You must understand that the job you are applying for might be different.

There is always going to be a job description and you must take note of that in preparing your resume. Make the recruiter or company see how you fit into the role, stating the skills and experiences that are relevant for the role.

Be specific with your skills and experiences, and don’t just put in everything you know to do or have done in the past.

2. Use bold fonts for emphasis. The recruiter or company in possession of your resume probably has a thousand resumes to go through. And they would want to do this with great speed because there isn’t any time to sit back and scrutinize the tiniest detail.

For some of them, the first thing they do is to scan through a resume to see if anything will catch their attention.

This is the importance of using bold fonts. If you have any important information which you know will increase your chances of landing the job, then make it bold for the recruiter to see.

Some jobs have keywords the recruiter looks out for, make those keywords bold enough so they are not missed.

Note: Be careful to be moderate with the use of bold fonts for specific details.

3. Make use of numbers and data. It is one thing to just talk about one thing you have done. And another thing to be explicit with it, with the use of numbers and data.

Take, for instance, you claim to be a sales and marketing expert. Anyone can make that claim, but you shouldn’t just make the claim, you should show it with actual data and figures.

If your marketing campaign generated leads, give the numbers clearly. Don’t just tell, show it and let the recruiter see it.

If you increased revenue by a certain percentage, let it reflect in your resume. Don’t assume or think it is not necessary or you don’t want to show off.

The market is highly competitive and you need to show off. If you don’t, others will.

4. Go straight to the point. As you already know, you are not the only one applying for the job. There are probably a thousand others and the recruiter is already faced with the challenge of going through those resumes.

You might want to make it easy and not put off the recruiter with a resume filled with a whole lot of unnecessary details.

This is why it is important to know the job description and then work with that in mind. Go straight to the point and put everything in clear terms that you believe the recruiter should know.

5. Show results, not just responsibilities. Everyone will always be given responsibilities and that is not in any way going to qualify you or give you an edge.

It is that way because recruiters are not bothered about the responsibilities you handled in the past, they want to see how you handled those responsibilities and the results you produced.

So, don’t just tell how you handled certain “huge” responsibilities, show the results that you produced and what you achieved in carrying out those responsibilities.

Your new job will also have a lot more responsibilities, so it is not just about the responsibilities but about the results and achievements.

Have it in mind that most people lose their jobs because they failed to handle certain responsibilities. So be clear and precise with your results.

6. State relevant software and technical skills. Currently, a lot of companies are in search of professionals who are not just knowledgeable in their industry but are also tech-savvy.

Most companies have adopted the use of certain software and they want to see if you can work with them. 

You should include those software and tech skills that you have that are relevant for the job. This would give you a good chance of landing the job.

It is to the benefit of the company that you have such skills because it would have saved them both time and training to arm you with these skills. Every company looks out for their best interest, so make them see how this will benefit them by including it in your resume.

7. Proofread. Preparing a resume can be difficult and frustrating for many, the adjustments here and there, the thought process that needs to go in.

All of these can be tiring, so once you are done preparing a resume, you might want to go off and send it immediately.

But that shouldn’t be the case, you should “always” proofread your resume. Go over it over and over again. Look out for your grammar, spelling, and spacing.

Read it over and over from the top to the bottom. Read it out loud. Have a few more people also proofread it for you, they will likely see something you missed.

You don’t want to send a resume full of errors, it has a lot to say about you.

8. Work with professionals. While some draft their resumes themselves, some don’t. There are professionals out there who specialize in drafting resumes, you should consider working with them if you do not think you can do it yourself.

It will cost you to hire the services of any professional, but it will still pay you in the long run.

Don’t rule out the option of working with professionals and insist on doing it yourself if you know you really can’t.