Set Yourself Apart From The Competition

It is not uncommon for employers to receive literally hundreds of resumes for an open position, along with hundreds more that come in unsolicited. With quantities like that, one resume starts to look just like another before long.

How can you set yourself apart from the competition? Create a resume that gives the potential employer the information they want in a manner that is clear, concise and easy to read. It is that simple.

Pick the right resume format

Your first important decision is which resume format to use. There are three basic resume formats to consider:

• Chronological - Traditional format that lists your work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent position and working backwards from there.
• Functional - This format highlights your skills and attributes using action statements that describe your specific accomplishments. The accomplishments can be drawn from any of your previous positions and are not necessarily listed in chronological order.
• Combination - This format uses elements of both a chronological and a functional resume. The order and exact combination of elements can vary quite a bit, allowing you maximum flexibility to tailor your resume to best show your qualifications.

Write what is important from the reader's perspective

An often overlooked part of creating a resume is to write it with the reader's perspective in mind. This means that your resume should be appealing and easy to read, drawing the reader's eye to elements that are most relevant to a specific job opening. Think about what information the reader will look for, and make that information as easy to notice as possible.

Keep the information concise

Most people have more accomplishments than there is room to list on a resume, so you have to make some choices. Which accomplishment statements are the most impressive and relevant to the job you are seeking? Pick the top three or four and use those.

Make sure that your statements are concise and to the point, using strong action words to describe what you did and quantifiable measurements of the results that you achieved. You do not need to tell a long story, and in fact, the strength of your statement diminishes as it gets longer.

Check for common errors

As surprising as it may seem, human resources professionals will tell you that an amazing number of resumes arrive with simple errors in them. From misspelled words to grammatical mistakes to poor printing, these errors immediately make a resume less appealing and more likely to be screened out. It does not take a lot of extra effort to thoroughly check your resume for common errors, so there is no reason not to do so.

Start with good spell check and grammar check software, followed by a careful reading using sharp human eyes. Read your resume backwards, one word at a time, to catch errors that your brain would otherwise overlook. Ask a trusted friend or peer to read your resume and provide their input on spelling, grammar, and general content. Finally, set the resume aside for 24 to 48 hours to let things percolate a bit. You may be surprised at the errors and awkward phrasing that suddenly appear when you have given your mind a rest and then take a fresh look at your material.

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