“Today’s employment environment is extremely competitive – more so than at any other time in recent history,” says Greg Faherty, a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and owner of A-perfect-resume.com.

With the rise of the technology, it is becoming more convenient to look for jobs on the internet. However, sending more applications does not entirely mean that you are about to get more chances of being hired. According to Terry Mullins, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business Administration at the University of Evansville in Indiana, most job seekers suffer more from poor job hunting skills than from lack of opportunity. One skill you might be lacking simply writing a resume.

You may be wondering why you do not just get even a single interview offer after all the applications you have made. To tell you, your resume might be the one to blame.

Before actually planning to ace an interview, a job seeker must first consider passing an effective resume. Just how can one be sure that his resume would be selected and piled along with other successful resumes and would not be tossed straight into the trash bin?

You may want to know:

  • Recruiters spend an average of 3.14 minutes reading a candidate’s resume and within the first minute, they have already made up their mind.
  • 1 in every 5 recruiters will actually discard a candidate before they even finish reading their resume.
  • 10% of job seekers have applied for 50 or more jobs without hearing back.

Experts state that only an even smaller fraction than that is selected for an interview. “98% of job seekers are eliminated at the initial resume screening and only the “Top 2%” of candidates make it to the interview”, says Robert Meier, President of Job Market Experts.

Just how can a resume be great and effective? How to make these employers and recruiters call you? Review these brilliant resume writing tips to attract more interview offers and finally get hired!

Tip1: Have it well – presented

Here’s how you can keep your resume as professional as possible:

  • Photos are not necessary
  • Refrain from using fancy fonts; stick to a simple font such as Calibri or Arial.
  • Use bullet points for easy scannability
  • Ensure that they layout is consistent from top to bottom
  • Use capital letters at the beginning of the sentences and proper nouns

Tip2: Make sure to include the basics

  • Personal and contact information – Ensure that your contact details are correct and up to date. If you really want to be called, you sure need to be easily contacted.
  • Education and qualifications
  • Work history and/or experience – Be sure to include relevant experiences and not just your job title.
  • Own interests or hobbies – You may want your employer to know you a little deeper.
  • References – This should be from someone who has employed you in the past and can vouch for your skills and experience. If you’ve never worked before you’re OK to use a teacher or tutor as a referee. Try to include two if you can.

Tip3: Be clear and concise

Remember, the goal of your resume is to land an interview before actually landing a job. Passing a resume would not mean getting hired right away. Do not blabber all the information ending up with a too lengthy and boring resume. Pages and pages of paper are never a necessity; it may only give the possibility for the employers and/or recruiters to throw your resume. Keep everything short yet relevant.

Tip4: Fit your resume for the job

Many can relate but one of the most common mistakes job seekers make is constructing a standard resume and passing it to all the job openings that they can find. Reasons for such is time – saving. However, it will also lessen your chance to land that interview; The same point applies to your cover letters.

Construct a resume specifically for a position upon establishing what the job demands and how you can match the requirements. If you are really aiming for a specific job, a generalized resume surely would not work. Potential employers may only conclude that you are not that interested in the position.

Tip5: Recheck. Recheck. Recheck.

Make certain that your resumes are free from errors. Avoid spelling and grammar mistakes.

A survey shows that 59% of recruiters will reject a candidate because of poor grammar or a spelling error. Note that mistakes, even small, are still mistakes. Do not let your potential employers think of you as too incompetent for not even bothering to proofread your own resume. Recheck your resume at least 3 times to make sure there are NO spelling or grammar mistakes and it all reads smoothly. You can also get someone else to check it over too, just in case you missed something.

Author Bio

Patrick works as a contributor at https://www.essaytwist.com. He is a former editor of a small town newspaper publishing. He is an avid fan of social media and runs his own page for writing enthusiasts for his college. With the rising clamor for healthy living, Patrick immersed himself with water sports.