How to Build a Standout Resume That Gets You Hired

A well-crafted resume is a powerful tool in your job search, acting as your personal marketing document that showcases your skills, experience, and qualifications. However, in a competitive job market, simply listing your job history and education may not be enough to stand out. To increase your chances of landing your dream job, you need to create a resume that grabs the attention of hiring managers and passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS). Here’s how you can build a standout resume that gets you hired.

1. Start with a Strong Resume Structure

A clear and organized resume structure is essential for making a lasting first impression. Hiring managers spend only a few seconds reviewing each resume, so you need to make sure they can quickly find the information they need. Use the following sections in your resume, and make them easy to navigate:

Contact Information: Include your full name, phone number, email address, and LinkedIn profile (if applicable). Ensure your email address is professional.

Professional Summary/Objective: A concise 2-3 sentence summary of who you are, what you offer, and your career goals. This section should highlight your key strengths and entice the reader to learn more about you.

Work Experience: This section should list your relevant past jobs in reverse chronological order, with your most recent position at the top. Use bullet points to describe your responsibilities and accomplishments.

Education: Include your highest degree, the institution you attended, and graduation year. If you have certifications or relevant coursework, list those as well.

Skills: Highlight both hard and soft skills that are relevant to the position. Hard skills could include specific technical abilities, while soft skills might include communication or leadership.

2. Tailor Your Resume for Each Job Application

A one-size-fits-all approach to resumes will likely result in your application being overlooked. To maximize your chances, customize your resume for each job you apply for. Here’s how:

Use Keywords: Carefully read the job description and identify key skills and qualifications the employer is looking for. Include these keywords in your resume, especially in your skills and experience sections. Many companies use ATS to screen resumes, and these systems are designed to look for specific keywords.

Highlight Relevant Experience: Emphasize the work experience and achievements that are most relevant to the position. This means if you’re applying for a marketing role, highlight your marketing experience and leave out unrelated jobs from the past.

Match the Job Title: If the job title you’re applying for closely matches your previous role, use that title on your resume. For example, if you were a “Digital Marketing Specialist” and are applying for a “Marketing Manager” role, ensure the titles are aligned.

3. Use Action-Oriented Language

When describing your previous job duties, focus on your accomplishments rather than just listing your tasks. Action verbs make a more compelling impression and show the results of your efforts. For example:

Instead of: “Responsible for managing social media accounts.”

Say: “Developed and executed a social media strategy that increased engagement by 40%.”

Using strong action verbs such as "achieved," "implemented," "managed," "led," "improved," and "generated" can help demonstrate your impact and show that you’re a results-driven candidate.

4. Quantify Your Achievements

Numbers speak louder than words. Whenever possible, quantify your accomplishments to provide evidence of your impact. For example:

Instead of: “Improved sales.”

Say: “Increased sales by 25% over a 6-month period through targeted email marketing campaigns.”

Quantifying your achievements not only makes your contributions clearer but also demonstrates your ability to deliver measurable results. Whether it’s sales growth, cost savings, or team performance, numbers make a stronger case for your candidacy.

5. Focus on Relevant Skills

Your resume should clearly show that you possess the skills necessary for the job. Break your skills section into hard and soft skills, and prioritize those that are directly relevant to the position.

Hard Skills could include technical abilities like programming languages, data analysis tools, or certifications specific to your industry (e.g., Google Analytics, Adobe Suite, or Salesforce).

Soft Skills include communication, leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, and time management. Even though soft skills are less tangible, they play a crucial role in the workplace and can be highlighted through examples in your work experience.

6. Design Your Resume for Readability

In addition to structuring your resume for clarity, the design should also be easy on the eyes. Avoid overly complex fonts, graphics, or layout designs that can distract from your content. Follow these design principles:

Use a simple font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman (10-12 pt).

Keep it clean and organized by using bullet points, headings, and white space effectively.

Be consistent with your formatting. For example, if you use bold for one job title, use bold for all job titles.

Make sure your resume is formatted in a way that both ATS and hiring managers can easily read.

7. Showcase Certifications and Achievements

If you have certifications that are relevant to the job, make sure to list them in a prominent section on your resume. Certifications show that you are committed to continuous learning and professional growth. Similarly, achievements such as awards, honors, or recognition can further elevate your resume and make you stand out from the competition.

8. Proofread Your Resume

A single typo can hurt your chances of getting hired, so it's crucial to proofread your resume thoroughly. Look for spelling and grammatical errors, inconsistent formatting, or any awkward phrasing. Ask a friend or colleague to review your resume, or consider using a professional proofreading service.

9. Include a Cover Letter (Optional but Recommended)

While some employers may not require a cover letter, including one can further differentiate you from other candidates. In your cover letter, briefly introduce yourself, explain why you’re interested in the position, and provide more context for the skills and experience listed on your resume. A cover letter adds a personal touch and shows that you've put effort into your application.

Final Thoughts

Building a standout resume requires more than just listing your past jobs. By focusing on relevance, quantifying your achievements, using action-oriented language, and ensuring your resume is properly formatted for both ATS and human readers, you can significantly increase your chances of getting noticed. Tailor your resume for each job you apply for, showcase your skills and accomplishments, and proofread it to ensure perfection. A well-crafted resume will help you take the next step in your career and get you hired.

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