You need to complete a number of steps in order to land your dream job. The first step is applying for an open vacancy with a great resume.
Your resume is almost like a self-promotion tool where you can display your expertise, and highlight your qualifications and work experience. It’s the only thing that recruiters have to learn more about you and decide whether or not to invite you for an interview.
It doesn’t matter whether you achieved top grades at university or you’ve got years of work experience if your resume doesn’t reflect this. Your resume needs to be professional, precise, and impressive for you to land your dream role.
The Key Elements of a Great Resume
When you’re writing your resume, there are a few key elements that you can’t miss. Below, we’ve covered each of these elements in more detail so you can maximize your chances of a successful application.
- Relevant Information
Your resume is only a couple of pages long so there is no room for ‘fluff’. Hiring managers have hundreds of applications to read through and they’re not going to waste time reading pages of irrelevant information!
Keep your resume clear and concise. It should contain the most relevant and up-to-date information about your key skills, work experience, and qualifications. This information should be related to the role that you’re applying for and the industry as a whole.
- Professional Layout
Alongside including the most relevant information to showcase why you’re great for the role, you also need to use the right layout in your resume. You can use a resume builder online to help you find the perfect layout if you’re not sure where to start.
Your resume needs to look impressive at first glance. It should be neat and split up into multiple sections using subheadings. Split large paragraphs of text into smaller sections and, when possible, use bullet points or lists to make the information easier to digest.
- Keywords
Some recruiters scan resumes using software to identify those with relevant keywords. Applicants who have used the most industry-related keywords and phrases in their resumes are the most likely to receive interviews.
Make sure to do plenty of keyword research before you sit down to write your resume. Try and weave keywords and phrases into your content in a natural and authentic way so that it comes across as genuine to the hiring managers.
Including plenty of industry-related terms will strengthen your resume and display your knowledge and increases your chances of success.
- Fonts
The fonts that you use in your resume need to be professional. They should look neat and clean when hiring managers first look at your application. Common fonts used in resumes include Arial and Times New Roman.
Make sure your fonts and font sizes are consistent throughout your whole resume. Every subheading should be the same font and size, as should every paragraph.
