As the year comes to a close, more and more professionals are looking to make a transition in their careers, be it moving companies or eyeing a leap up the corporate ladder. With such a large number of applicants out there, you’ll need to write a killer resume in order to make a strong impression with hiring managers. These three simple tips will help you write a killer resume in no time.
Ditch the Fancy Formatting
While a lot of color and charts may catch a hiring manager’s eye, it may not leave the impression that you’re looking for. Writing a killer resume requires a clean and professional look that clearly organizes your experience and accomplishments without being too loud. The accomplishments and contributions at your previous roles are what should make you and your killer resume stand out.
Utilize Key Terms
When writing a killer resume, job descriptions similar to positions you are seeking can be a useful tool. Job descriptions will be full of key terms including technical proficiencies, programs, and other skills that the employer is seeking out of a candidate. Using those key terms multiple times throughout the document is crucial to writing a killer resume that not only impresses a hiring manager, but also gets through applicant tracking systems (ATS). A killer resume is also not set in stone. Changing the key terms to match all applications can be vital to the resume’s success.
Find the Format That Fits Your Experience
Writing a killer resume means presenting your experience in the most effective way possible, and that killer resume can come in different forms. If your career has followed a more traditional path, a chronological format will be the most effective. However, if you’re looking to make a drastic career change or you’ve had spotty tenure throughout your career, writing a killer resume may require a functional format that highlights more overall accomplishments.
A new year could mean a new stop on the career path, and these tips on how to write a killer resume will surely help along the way.