Written by Megan White

Resume building can be tricky. Every employer seems to want something different. How are you supposed to stand out? How do you ensure employers will want to continue reading? Let’s talk about a few tips that you might be neglecting. 

Describe your accomplishments when you’re addressing previous jobs.

You should “describe ways you’ve excelled in your profession and have gone above and beyond.” It’s not enough these days to simply list out the job description on your resume. You need to sell yourself. You should get creative and quantify your accomplishments. Use numbers that help tell the employer what sort of skills and abilities you have. Did you reach thousands of viewers on the videos you were putting out? Did you send out reports that reached hundreds of supporters? Illustrating that information can be a game changer. 

Ignore unnecessary and irrelevant information.

It’s important to know “what to leave off your resume” as it’s “just as important as knowing what to put on it.” Remember to keep your resume to one page. Employers don’t have the time (nor do they want) to look at multiple pages of tedious information. Instead, focus on the information that’s in the job description you’re applying for. Don’t make the employer have to look for what they want. Make it obvious and make sure you have those skills and can exemplify those through your own work. 

Research the company’s culture and indicate those abilities that may match. 

Find relevant information on the company’s website or social channels. If they highlight and value volunteer work, be sure to spotlight the volunteer work you’ve done. It may take some time to find out what the company may value but that takes you one step further to the perfect match of a resume. You always want to cater your resume to the company you’re applying to because you want to showcase how you would fit in with the company’s culture. Knowing what they value and catering your resume to exemplify those values can make you a standout candidate. Doing so will also make their lives much easier as they won’t have to sift through your resume to find the information they’re looking for. This can give you a huge advantage.

You worked hard to build your network, so take advantage of it!

Your network may be that group of LinkedIn connections you’ve built up through various classes or professional events. It may be a small group of professors you’ve grown to know throughout your time at college. Either way, you have people out there willing to help you. When you apply to that job and have a connection that works for that company or organization, send them a quick message letting them know you applied and would appreciate any advice or support they may have. Or better yet, offer to take them out to coffee to discuss the job or any other similar opportunities. Make your professional journey personal and individualistic too.