Land your Dream Job with an Irresistible Resume: 7 Key Strategies

Having a great resume is crucial for success when applying for a job, and while it isn’t necessary to go above and beyond to succeed, it is a great way to ensure you are putting your best foot forward and give yourself your best chance for success.

Many businesses receive resumes on a regular basis, so it is important to put in effort to stand out. Otherwise, there is every chance you will be lost in the crowd amongst hundreds of other applicants.

I know it sounds contradictory but realistically your resume shouldn’t be about you so much as it should be about how you and your skills can benefit their company, and how you are the best fit for the role. 

So which key resume strategies give you the best opportunity to succeed?

Keep it Simple.

Use a clean and professional format. Don’t use unique font and colours, standard black with a simple font will suffice. Keep it simple, and sleek. Use easy to read headers, margins, bullet points and white space to keep things organised and structured.

Be concise, two pages is enough. If you have a large job history, keep it to the last 10 years.

There are many free templates available online, that will help you. Avoid anything too flashy. You want simple and well structured. Even if you aren’t an overly creative person, there are many simple templates that can be used to present yourself clearly and professionally. Avoid using a word document with no structure, it shows little thought and effort, and can come across as if you don’t care.

Include a Cover letter.

When writing your cover letter, be sure to include your name, address and contact details.

Also do your research and include the details of the person you are addressing the letter to. Many job applications will tell you who this is, but if they don’t, do some research of your own. If you can’t find the details online, pick up the phone, ring and ask them. This is another great way to informally introduce yourself to the right people, be polite and professional, word of mouth can help to improve your chances (remember people talk, especially amongst work colleagues).

Customise your letter specifically to the company you are talking to and the position you are applying for, nobody likes reading a generic letter that you can tell has been copied and pasted for other applications, and trust me after you’ve read a few, you can certainly tell the difference.

State which job you are applying for in your opening paragraph. As well as a brief outline of the skills you will be able to bring to the position, including education, qualifications, and any transferable skills.

Also include the answers to any questions that the job application outlines.

Use salutations to end the letter (kind regards), give thanks for their time and sign your name. It may seem obvious but many people forget to do this.

Personalise

Personalise based on the job you are applying for in every aspect of your resume, not just in your cover letter. While this may be time consuming, it can give you the edge you need to stand out from the crowd. Cater your skills, and experiences to the job you are applying for.

e.g.

If you have worked on a farm your entire life and are now applying for desk job, consider demonstrating your skills in a way which would benefit the new position.

• On the farm I developed a morning routine to increase productivity.

• Working on the farm required future planning, adaptability, long hours, hard work, organisation and creative solutions.

• I developed patience with … and am used to ….

• Adaptability was a must, in the likely event that … should happen, I learned to … and as a result … (benefit).

Write a compelling summary.

While not every job will require this, having a concise and powerful summary is a great way to highlight your most important skills that will benefit the company you are applying at, avoid cliches and be relevant to the position and company. This is generally only used if a cover letter is not included. If these points are covered in your cover letter, leave it out of your resume.

Show don’t tell.

Stories are a great way to demonstrate skills. For instance, if you have leadership skills, demonstrate how you have used them to benefit your past position (painting a picture for how you can use them at this new position), don’t just state the skill. Make sure you customise to how it will benefit the new role/company, and keep it relevant. Many jobs will request you use the S.T.A.R method to show your skills.

e.g.

leadership skills.

Instead write:

In my position at (previous company) I took the lead with (task), in this time (sales/productivity/results/etc) increased by (percentage/results) as a result of my efforts.

Do not lie or exaggerate in your resume, this doesn’t help anyone.

Use relevant keywords.

Many companies (not everyone) that process resumes online will use filtering systems (A.T.S. Applicant Tracking Systems) that look for job specific keywords. This way they can cipher through hundreds of resumes for the right information, saving them time, so if you aren’t using the right words, there is a chance you may be filtered out before even being looked at. This isn’t the case for every business, but it is a good idea to cater accordingly just is case, and it certainly can’t hurt your chance of success.

Update your LinkedIn account.

Update your LinkedIn account to reflect your skills. Many businesses will use this to get a deeper overview of who you are and your capabilities. Make sure it is up to date and addresses all your relevant skills. Keep things professional and remember to put your best foot forward.

Businesses may even view your social media accounts, including Facebook and Instagram. Depending on what kind of job you are applying for, the content you are displaying to the world could impact your chances, so keep this in mind before posting anything unsavoury.

Bonus tip - Presentation 

Finally, not so much writing your resume as much as personal presentation - if you are applying to the business in person rather than online, upon handing in your resume to the business, dress respectfully, make eye contact and be polite. It’s that simple.

This also applies once you make it to an interview, be confident, respectful and polite. Your resume only gets you to the door, you need to step through it.

If you need help to write your resume to land the job of your dreams, then Contact me today and together we can create the perfect resume for you.

Until next time, Happy Writing!

Hi there! I’m Kaeleigh, a Digital Marketer with a focus on Creative Content & Copywriting, who helps business owners and entrepreneurs generate leads, increase traffic and build their brands through engaging creative content.