Study based on research in the talent acquisition zone suggests that recruiters spend only six seconds scanning through a resume. While the job market is expected to keep exploring in 2017, competition will be at the highest level. And what can I say! The JOB MARKET is by far the most enticing Shopping Malls of them all!!!! As you walk in and walk out of every opportunity called Interviews, trying to land the best deal, make sure your resume stands uniquely distinct from the rest.

In this article, we are extending our support and guidance in helping you format your existing resume to ensure you land the job you are aspiring for! We are not sharing the “before” and “after” resume looks! We are guiding you step by step to give your resume a complete makeover.

Its but natural to get dazzled and eventually confused not knowing what to add and what not to add in your resume. It can be a daunting experience to sum up your entire career history into 2 pages! Yes! That is the market standard for a resume these days! No one has the time to read your autobiography! Give the hiring managers exactly what they want to read! Give them the most enticing KISS! Keep it short and simple!

Let’s try if these tricks work for you as much as they work for our clients.

Beat the robots

Companies rely on applicant tracking systems (ATS) to help pre-filter resumes. These software’s scan resumes for contextual keywords, key phrases and buzzwords. Let’s humour it.. these software’s troll us under the bridge! the 21^stcenturies robotic scrutiny to hire the right talent! Sounds unfair, right? Well, we need to blend in to the many ways of having work done faster and smarter. And this is one among it! The probability of a worthy candidate’s resume being rejected due to lack of keywords is dangerously high! Be honest and precise about your skills in your resume. Don’t be afraid to flaunt yourself, again, DO NOT OVER DO IT!

Make it visually appealing 

Freshen up the look of your resume, makes it’s more visually appealing. Here are five things you can do:

• Using color and shading for keywords in your resume can help highlighting critical information.
• Testimonials give a nice break in the resume. Try adding your LinkedIn endorsement’s and recommendations. They are considered authentic.
• Bring in some images to add relief to your extremely verbose resume.
• Highlight the companies and designation.
• Always Include a Wow factor on Career Highlights.

Summary instead of objective

The recruiter doesn't care about your objective. Let’s be real! Why would anybody want to know what your dreams and aspirations are! They are hiring you because they need the oomph factor that they don’t have currently! Give them what you have to offer as a brief summary. Keep it short and make it precise. Convey the years of experience you have, your job history (not your KRA’s, lets add your initiatives) and your achievements.

Easily accessible

Give them your Phone number, your email id and your current location and ensure its easily available, legible to read and accurate! Include your LinkedIn profile (Ensure your LinkedIn profile is updated too!)

Fonts and Styles

Use fonts that look good on print. Arial, Calibri, Calibri Light are standardised fonts that look amazing on print with a font size as small as 9. Ensure your headings are highlighted. Bold and maintain font size 12 or 14.

Till such time that the employment industry comes up with newer ideas to showcase your talent and your experience, I am sure, these tips will create a better impact when you forward your resume to the recruiters / hiring managers / decision makers.

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