It can be difficult to get your resume noticed – follow these tips and you won’t have to worry.

If your resume isn’t noticed, then you won’t get beyond the first recruitment hurdle. And your resume is also the first thing your recruiter, HR team and hiring manager will see and know about you. So, it’s vital to make it perfect and ensure they know from the start how good you are.  Here are our top tips for your resume!

You must tailor your resume to the advert. By matching your own experience to the requirements of the job you are showing the recruiter that you can do it. At the end of the day this is the focus of your resume.  So, make sure it matches the role and this will get the recruiter interested in you and your resume straight away.

Usually a resume should be two sides of A4 paper.  Recruiters see many, many resumes each day and by going over two sides you’ll be giving them extra work, which will put them off straight away. So, keep the information relevant to the role you’re applying for and at a high-level.

Start with a personal statement summarising your key achievements that are relevant to the role you are applying for. This will show off why you are good at your current role and why you’d be good at the role you are applying for. It’s the first thing a recruiter who looks at your resume will see, so can get them interested in you straight away.

Saying that you are good at something is one thing.  Using numbers to support and show how good you are makes you stand out. For example, saying you grew sales is very vague.  Showing you grew profits by 40% year on year, shows a real and strong output. But remember to be honest and relevant with these!

There is no point making things up on your resume.  At some stage, whether at screening, reference checks, interview or if you do get the role, you’ll get found out that you can’t actually do what you said. And it will be embarrassing! Whether it’s not being able to answer questions at interview or not actually being able to do your job, your true abilities will become appraent. Be aware that lying about your experience or skills could also lead to dismissal!

Job titles and technical terminology from your industry/role will help get your resume to the top of searches so a recruiter sees you first. Used in the right way, keywords show that you’re an expert. Remember to match these keywords to the job description of the role you are applying for as it will help get you through the first recruitment stages.

Remember your resume is your own personal professional advert. Design your resume so information is clear and easy to read. So, break it up using headers and bullets.  Also, keep formatting standardised throughout and use one font style. Another simple trick is not to clutter the pages and leave white space between sections.