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How to Make a Polished Resume That Could Get You Noticed

If you recently got unemployed or are looking for a new opportunity in your career, the first thing you need to do is to update your resume. But with many potential hires vying for that coveted job position, you need to make a noteworthy CV for potential employers to take notice.

Before you hand in your application, make sure that you updated the information, polished it, and checked it for errors. To guide you through the process, here are six tips on how to prep your resume.

Make It Easy to Read

There are recruiters and potential employers who would usually just make a quick scan when reviewing resumes, especially if there are a lot of applications. So, it’s incredibly important to make it easy to read. The format and how it is organized should be kept polished. Websites like Glassdoor and Indeed share tips on how to do just that.

Some of the most common format rules include: aligning roles and descriptions to the left side, location and dates on the right, using the same font size for all the texts except for your name, separating the skills section, and limiting it to a single page.

ImYanis/Shutterstock | Organize your resume’s sections and format to make it readable and polished.

Mention Experience First Before Education

When arranging the sections of your resume, put your experiences first before your educational attainments. This should include your recent professional history, complete with job titles, dates of employment, skills, and accomplishments.

Your education section should contain details about your most recent education, certificates, and degrees from accredited institutions. Unless you’re a recent graduate, your education section should be at the bottom.

Write in Proper Present and Past Tense

It’s essential to use the right tense when writing your resume, especially in the job description part. Use past tense when detailing past jobs, volunteer work, or extracurricular activity. If you’re still doing these tasks or roles, then use the present tense. Make sure to avoid mixing past and present tenses in one heading.

Dean Drobot/Shutterstock | Use present tense for your current tasks and past tense for your former jobs.

Include Various Keywords

Impress your potential employer more by showcasing your vocabulary. When writing your job descriptions, include various keywords that are relevant and distinct. Spicing up your word usage makes your resume stand out. Also, avoid using the same words multiple times in the document as it may look bland and unappealing for the reader.

Highlight Your Accomplishments

Don’t just include your job description; you also have to highlight your accomplishments while you were still doing that job. Educational and personal achievements may count too. This shows how you were able to contribute to a positive impact on the business. That way, potential employers and recruiters can see your worth and possible impact on their organization.

GaudiLab/Shutterstock | Take note of your quantifiable accomplishments and include the data in your resume.

Proofread. Proofread. Proofread.

Once you have completed your draft, proofread it multiple times to make sure that it’s error-free. Although this is the last part of making your resume, it’s also the most crucial. A lot of the recruiters start evaluating their applicants with the resume they sent. Most of the time, an error-filled resume won’t be given the time of day. Think of it as their first impression of you.

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