When it comes to landing a new job, the ability to stand out is key. The average corporate position receives around 250 applications, making it extremely difficult to get noticed. In a sea of qualified talent, how do you set yourself apart? Writing a strong resume is the first step. Your resume will often be a potential employer’s first impression of you. And with so many resumes being submitted for each position, it’s crucial to make sure that yours is an eye-catcher. If you’re struggling to get noticed by top companies, here’s how to write a resume.
Select a Format
There are three main types of resumes, chronological, functional, and hybrid. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. However, the hybrid format tends to have the best balance between skills and work experience. Consider which format works best for you and what elements of your skillset and job history you want to feature in your resume to help decide on the best format.
Include Your Personal Information
While this may seem straightforward, many candidates forget to include this crucial information, ensuring they never hear back from a company. Your resume should include the following information in the top corner.
- Name
- Phone number
- Location (City, State, Zip Code)
- Email Address
- LinkedIn profile URL (if applicable)
Not only does this provide several ways for a company to contact you, but also the option to look further into your and your career should they desire to do so.
Write a Strong Headline
Right or wrong, hiring managers don’t read every resume that comes across their desk. This means that having one strong line that describes you as a candidate may help capture their attention and cause them to examine your resume more thoroughly. For example:
“IT department manager with 15 years of experience leading IT teams”
This quickly communicates your strengths and history. It’s short and eye-catching, increasing the likelihood that the hiring manager will further investigate your resume.
Include a Professional Summary
Your professional summary should be a short paragraph that highlights your skills and experience. It should not be exhaustive, but it should list the highlights of your career and your greatest achievements and accomplishments within your industry.
Add Your Detailed Work Experience
This section should be more exhaustive and include detailed information about your past work experiences. Consider the following format to communicate your job history.
- Company
- Job location
- Your job title
- Start and end dates
- Job description
List Your Skills
After your work history, you should have a section that lists your skills and qualifications for the position you are applying for. While your entire resume should include skills, this section allows you to get a little more specific and in-depth about your capabilities. Be sure to list both hard and soft skills.
Include Your Education and Certifications
Most job postings list certain educational requirements and are necessary for the application, or at the very least state that they are preferred. Take time to list your education as it is related to your field of work. Where you went to college, what your degree is in, what courses and certifications you have completed since then, etc. This will help you stand out from other applicants by showing your qualifications.
Customize and Polish Your Resume
Not all jobs are created equal, so it stands to reason that your resume shouldn’t be the same for every position. One of the biggest mistakes applicants can make is creating their resume and then sending it to fifteen different job postings without optimizing or customizing it. Each company is looking for different strengths, work history, skills, etc. To maximize your chances of heating back, customize your resume to include only the most relevant information for each company.
Contact a Recruiter
IT staffing and recruiting agencies work to partner top talent with companies looking for new hires. Recruiters know what companies are looking for and also know how to write a resume for each available position. Consider reaching out to an IT recruiting agency today for help optimizing your resume.
How Can Techbridge Help?
At TechBridge, our goal is to bridge the gap between business and employee, matching qualified workers with the companies who need them. If you have any further questions or you’re interested in our staffing and recruiting process, contact us today!
