Create a Job Winning Resume by Including These 4 Elements

Experts often recommend resume writing services for people who don’t have any experience making a resume. That is because resumes are the most important part of your recruitment process. They are your first impression in front of a potential employer, which means you need to highlight the best of you to convince them that you will be a great fit for the role you’re applying for.

Having a professionally written and formatted resume is extremely important because your job application is dependent on it. Your resume is the first thing that a recruiter uses to determine whether you would be a good fit for the position that you have applied for. That is why it is important to reflect your credentials in the best light on your CV.

Our experts have extensive experience in writing resumes for different professionals and we have rounded up a few key elements that we believe make any resume stand out and catch the recruiter’s attention. To learn what makes a resume stand out, read below for a comprehensive guide.

1. Achievements Highlight

When you’re listing down your experience, make sure you add a few points on the responsibilities you had when you were working in that position. The best way to utilize this space is to focus more on the tangible goals you achieved instead of designing your role generically. Highlight how your presence brought value to the organization.

This will help you stand out to the recruiter and will also give them a clear idea of your work ethic, skills, and ability to achieve goals. Make sure you mention all the promotions or recognitions you received. In case you’re a fresh grad, highlight your academic achievements or any scholarships that you may have received.

2. Relevant and Recent Experiences

The key to an excellent resume is to list down your experiences beginning with the latest ones. If you’ve worked at multiple places so far, it would be beneficial for you to list the most recent and most relevant experiences first before moving on to the rest.

For a young professional it is best to have a one-page resume that captures your professional experiences and academic achievements. If You have done multiple internships, then list down only the relevant ones to ensure that they all fit on one page.

For a mid-senior level professional, a resume of two or even three pages is acceptable. However, two pages are ideal.

3. Professional Outlook

As much as the substance of the CV is important, it is equally important for it to have a professional design and structure in order to catch the attention of the recruiter. Giving it a professional structure will leave a great impression on the person who is vetting candidates. Go for minimal and simple designs that aren’t overwhelming.

Sometimes candidates tend to go overboard with the distracting colors visuals. Therefore, it is important to maintain a certain balance in order to ensure that your CV looks neat, professional, and organized.

You can also hire professional services to create and design your CV. That way you will not have to worry about designing the whole thing or figuring out what is appropriate. There are also many resources out there that you can use to do this on your own. Several free resume-building websites and platforms, such NovoResume are a great tool for people who don’t have the experience to design layouts.  

The features on these websites are easy to use and you can choose from a variety of free templates to create your own CV. We highly recommend using these tools if you’re thinking of creating your own CV.

4. Simplicity

Candidates often get carried away when drafting their resumes because they want to capture every single detail about their work and experiences. However, it is very important to remember that your resume is only supposed to be a summary of your relevant professional experiences. It’s also important to keep in mind that you’ll have to edit your resume a bit for every job you apply for. Not all experiences are going to be relevant for all positions, so it’s best to tailor your resume for each job.

What do Recruiters Look for in a Candidate?

There are certain skills that all recruiters look for in a candidate. We will list them down below and you should make sure that they reflect in your resume and experiences:

1. Written and Verbal Communication Skills

Communication is one of the most critical skills that an employee needs to have. Recruiters look for this skill as a baseline for the eligibility of the candidate. You should be able to communicate professionally both verbally and in written form.

2. Digital Skills

Today, no industry is fully independent of digital and technological use. That is why digital and computer skills are an absolute must for all employees. All employers expect at least a basic understanding and experience of handling computer-based tools such as Word, spreadsheets, power points, emails, and internet navigation.

3. Organizing Skills

Another critical skill that employers look for in candidates is the ability to organize efficiently. An unorganized person can never work as efficiently as an organized employee. Most employees have the potential to lead and take on challenging tasks but often fall short due to the lack of organizing skills.

4. Time Management

With most jobs following a hybrid model now, it has become essential for an employee to be able to manage their time to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Good time management skills allow you to perform various tasks efficiently. The ability to prioritize different responsibilities of the work with respect to time allows an employee to perform at their best.

5. Problem-Solving Skills

Problem-solving is another critical skill that recruiters in all industries look for in candidates. An employee should have the analytical capacity to look at problems from a solution-oriented lens. There is no way that an employee is not going to face any unexpected challenges while performing their duties.

6. Decision-Making

Although categorized as a soft skill, decision-making ability is of paramount importance for employers for all levels of employees. In order to work efficiently, the ability to make quick, smart, and logical decisions is essential. This is especially important if you’re aiming for leadership and managerial roles.

7. Research skills

Research is one of the most powerful tools for the success of any employee, company, or organization. The ability to find the right information quickly makes an employee efficient and extremely valuable for their team.

8. Leadership

Leadership is the gold skill that all employers look for even when they are hiring at an entry-level. The ability to build, lead, and motivate a team is of the greatest value to any company. Recruiters look for a candidate’s ability to demonstrate leadership and mentoring skills.

If a candidate has displayed leadership qualities in their previous experiences, they instantly become more valuable to the hiring company. Leadership doesn’t only come into play when an employee is given a managerial role but it is equally important for people who work in collaborative teams to create a working environment conducive to collective growth and success.

Why is a Professionally-Written Resume Important?

In simple terms, a good CV is your ticket to interviews. As obvious as it may sound, but your resume is the most important resource you have for getting that anticipated interview call. Your resume is the only insight the recruiter has on you at an early stage of the recruitment process, so it is absolutely essential that it reflects the best of you.

You need to ensure that your resume is structured neatly and has a professional design. The other thing that you have to make sure of is to send an updated resume. It can also really benefit you to tweak your resume to make it more relevant for the job that you’re applying for.

Most companies provide a job description along with the recruitment details. Make sure that you study it carefully and identify the skills that they are looking for. Based on that, you can tailor your resume to reflect the skills that are relevant. This small step can help you stand out to the recruiter immediately, and you will be much more likely to get that interview call.

Final Thoughts

An impressive resume has a few key elements that make it stand out. These elements include the ones we discussed in the article and you can easily build a job-winning resume with them. The key is to create a resume that is simple yet impressive enough to land you that job interview you really want.