Finding a job in today’s competitive job market involves standing out from the crowd! If your resume is stacked in a pile of 100 other job applicants, does your resume stand out?

5 Tips to Create an Eye-Catching Resume:

• Sell Yourself – Your resume is a sales pitch. Take advantage of the opportunity to focus on your skills, abilities, knowledge, and experience. Be descriptive and relevant!
• Use an Active Voice – Do not be passive in your job descriptions, use an active voice and keywords relevant to your industry.
• Use Bullet Points – Do not write a long paragraph as a description of past employment, instead use bullet points and succinct phrases. Every word counts! Remove irrelevant and very old employment descriptions from your resume and use the space to emphasize your current skills.
• Draw the Eye – Pay attention to the layout of your resume and the amount of white space. Does your resume flow naturally from one section to the next? Is important information eye-catching? Use bold text and underlining to draw the reader’s attention (sparingly).
• Tailor Your Cover Letter – Always tailor your cover letter to the specific position you are applying for. Employers can identify individuals who have used a generic cover letter and may be turned-off by the lack of effort!

Bonus Tip: Using Colored Text – Depending on your industry it may be beneficial to use colored text in your resume (e.g.-heading titles) but remember that most resumes will be printed in black and white, so ensure your resume looks good in both color as well as black and white!

Get help with your resume and cover letter at the Metro College Job Search Support Service and Workshops!