Writing a resume is easy, right? All it takes is to list your professional background, and you’re good to go. But guess what – it’s not true.
If you are a person who takes resume creation for granted, you better call the best career change resume writing services. They will help you craft a high-quality document that really makes an impression on potential employers. It will help you stand out and earn that much-needed job interview.
But if you want to do everything alone, keep reading.
The current job market is very different from what it was just a few years ago. In order to stay ahead of the curve, you need to know how to make your CV stand out from the rest. Here are a few tips on what your professional biography should look like in 2022.
Use ATS-friendly keywords
Do you know that most companies rely on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) these days? It’s a program that enables employers to collect and review applications for open positions.
It has been getting increasingly popular in recent years as a way to reduce the number of resumes that need to be read by human recruiters. That’s because the ATS can automatically weed out candidates who do not have the necessary qualifications or experience for the job opening.
The ATS scans each resume for certain keywords and phrases, ranks them according to how well they match the job opening, and then either sends them to be read by a human recruiter or rejects them if they are not a good fit.
What does it mean? It means that you must use the right keywords in your resume if you want to get past an ATS. Here’s how to find out what keywords you should use:
- Read the job posting carefully
- Make a list of the skills and qualifications required for the role
- Incorporate these phrases and terms into your resume
However, don’t fall into the keyword stuffing trap. Use those phrases as much as possible without making them seem unnatural.
Structure the document properly
Most CVs follow one of these two formats – reversed chronological or functional. Your task is to pick the right one and structure your resume in a way that will highlight your best qualities, accomplishments, and experiences.
- Reversed chronological format
If you have a lot of work experience, you may want to use a reverse chronological format. This format starts with your most recent experience and works backward. It’s the usual solution and will work in most cases, so don’t hesitate to choose it if you are not sure what to do.
- Functional CV
If you don’t have much experience or are changing careers, a functional format may be a better solution. This sort of CV focuses on your skills and qualifications instead of your work history. It will highlight transactional skills that are transferable to the new role. If you don’t know how it works, consider consulting with professional cv writers to give you deeper insights into the matter.
Once you have picked a suitable format, you can start to populate your resume with relevant information. Of course, you should always remember to tailor the resume you send out to fit the specific job you are applying for – regardless of the chosen format.
Quantify your results
When writing about your past experiences, don’t just list your duties and responsibilities. Your potential employer is eager to figure out what kind of results you achieved in your previous roles. In other words, you ought to include specific metrics, such as how much money you saved the company, how many people you managed, or what percentage increase you generated in sales.
This will give the employer a much better idea of what kind of value you can bring to their organization. If you are unsure how to present and quantify your results, take a look at these examples:
- Increased sales by X%
- Managed a team of X people
- Saved the company X amount of money
- Successfully completed X projects
Tangible data like these will make an impact and convince potential employers that you are the professional they are searching for.
Provide links to your online presence
In today’s day and age, it’s not enough to just have a resume. You also need to have an online presence if you want to be successful in your job search. Make sure to include links to your professional social media profiles, such as LinkedIn, as well as any other websites or blogs that you may have.
This will give employers a chance to learn more about you and your work. It will also help them to get a better idea of your qualifications and achievements.
Design an infographic to stand you
No one can dispute the fact that people are visual beings. And when it comes to reading resumes, this is even more true. The average recruiter spends only six seconds looking at each resume before deciding whether it’s worth reading further. So you must make sure yours is attention-grabbing and easy on the eyes.
And one of the best ways to do that is by designing an infographic. An infographic CV is a resume that uses images, graphs, and charts to illustrate your skills, experience, and accomplishments. It makes an eye-pleasing way to stand out from the bunch of other candidates and capture the attention of hiring managers. Here are some easy-to-apply tips for creating an infographic resume:
- Start by creating a portfolio that showcases your skills and experience
- Choose images, graphs, and charts that best communicate your message
- Keep the overall design easy to read and simple
- Make sure the information is accurate and up to date
- Add a URL to your portfolio on your resume
Infographics are particularly important for individuals working in creative niches such as design, marketing, or advertising. But really, anyone can benefit from using this type of resume.
Choose the right font
The font you use on your resume is just as important as the content itself. After all, if a potential employer can’t read your resume because the font is too small or too fancy, they’re not going to bother trying. When choosing a font, remember to keep it simple – Arial or Calibri are always good options.
Besides that, make sure the size is big enough to be easily readable. Most recruiters think that 10-12 points are usually a good bet. You should also refrain from using more than two different fonts on your resume. Doing so will make it look cluttered and unprofessional.
Use white space to your advantage
White space is a critical element of good resume design. By definition, it represents the empty space on a page that is not occupied by text or other graphical elements. Designers often use white space to create a sense of balance and visual interest and can also be used to deliberately draw attention to certain elements on a CV.
Too much white space, however, can make a resume look “cold” or “sterile.” Strategically placing white space in your CV can create a more effective and visually pleasing overall look. So don’t be afraid to use it!
Keep it short and sweet
Here’s a section where most professionals make a mistake – they craft a CV that is too long to be seriously considered by potential employers. In general, your resume should be no more than two pages – anything more than that is likely to be skimmed over or ignored altogether.
Of course, there are exceptions to this rule – if you have an extensive work history or experience closely related to the position you are applying for, it’s okay to make your CV a bit longer. But in general, two pages should be sufficient. It is usually enough to compile a list of relevant work experiences, skills, and accomplishments without going into too much detail.
Remember, the idea is to capture the attention of the reader and make them want to learn more about you – not bore them with a long, tedious list of everything you’ve ever done. So focus on quality over quantity, and do not hesitate to edit your CV down to the essentials.
Make sure it’s error-free
Even if you have the best qualifications and experience for the job, an error-filled resume will likely prevent you from getting an interview. So remember to check and proofread your resume several times before sending it out. If possible, try reading your resume backward to catch any mistakes you might have missed.
Better yet, ask a family member or a friend to read it over as well. Another person will check the document objectively and will likely catch any errors you may have missed. It’s also a good idea to run a spell check, although you should be aware that these can sometimes miss errors.
Finally, you can use one of many online tools or services specifically designed to catch resume errors. Grammarly, for instance, is a free service that can be used to check for grammar and spelling errors. It will also point out redundant phrases, styling issues, and similar details that do not belong in a resume.
Conclusion
What does it mean to write a great CV in 2022? It means keeping the document concise, well-designed, and up to the point. In this post, we showed you more than one tip on how to achieve this goal. Now, it is your turn to start working. Good luck!
