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Your resume is an essential part of your job marketing campaign—a key tool in showcasing your personal brand and proving you’re an ideal fit for the role you’re applying for.
In today’s competitive job market, applying for an open position can sometimes feel like tossing your resume into a black hole, hoping someone notices what makes you shine. To land an interview, though, your resume must stand out against the competition—and that means being strategic about how you approach the application process.
Fortunately, we have insider tips to help you achieve a smart, targeted strategy as you create a resume that showcases your strengths and expertise. Here are 8 actionable steps you can take today to ensure your resume catches the eye of the recruiting team so you can get an interview.
1. Tailor your resume to the specific job you’re applying for.
The days of using one standard resume are long past. Instead, think of your application as if it’s a marketing campaign targeted at a specific employer, and position yourself with a customized application to ensure you look like the ideal candidate. Everything you mention on your tailored resume should be intentionally chosen to prove you’re the perfect fit.
How to do it:
Use the job description as your blueprint. Extract keywords, skills, and qualifications mentioned in the posting and incorporate them into your resume, aligning them with specific responsibilities and measurable results. Consider leaving off jobs that don’t apply to the position you’re seeking, especially if omitting older roles doesn’t create questionable gaps.
2. Make your resume ATS-friendly
Recruiters today use Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to simplify and speed up the task of reviewing job applications. This type of software is sophisticated, but it’s not perfect—and it can’t always read certain types of files and images. Your resume formatting, therefore, is more important than you might realize.
What to do:
Use simple formatting without columns, fancy bullets, or complex layouts to ensure the software can capture relevant information. Remember, ATS programs are good at scanning language from plain text or Word documents (or possibly a PDF). Avoid using Canva or similar design tools, because the images, though they look nice, can be unreadable, causing your awesome experience to be overlooked.
3. Craft a compelling professional summary.
In the past, it was common to insert a static professional objective at the top of a resume. These days, this is yet another area of your resume that can be customized to fit the job you’re applying for. You can use your professional summary to bump up your resume’s match to the ATS software, increasing the chances a live recruiter will look at your application.
How to do it:
Make this section like a short cover letter. Take the time to craft 2-5 sentences that explain why you’re applying for this position. Mention the job title and company name directly in this section to ensure it’s clear you’re interested in this specific role at this specific organization.
4. Organize details carefully to ensure relevant skills and information are obvious.
It’s important for your resume to be easily scannable, and you want the key information to jump out right away. Not only does this call attention to your accomplishments, but it also shows you are detail-oriented and a good team player who can help ease the jobs of potential coworkers (like the HR team reading your resume).
What to do:
Place a skills section near the top of your resume, including both hard skills (technical abilities, software proficiency) and soft skills (communication, leadership) that match the job description. If you’re a recent graduate, your education can come close to the top; otherwise, save it for the end of the resume (and leave off dates if it’s been a while, so you don’t age yourself). Be sure your full name, phone number, a professional email, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio links are all listed clearly at the top.
5. Use the XYZ formula for accomplishments.
While it’s tempting to just summarize your current and past job descriptions, your resume needs to be more strategic than that. Each section should sell your expertise as someone who not only held a role, but thrived in it. Be sure you’re telling recruiters about the results you achieved, in ways that are compelling and specific.
How to do it:
Use the XYZ formula to describe your successes. For each position, include 2-3 bullet points that follow the formula: “Accomplished [X] as measured by [Y] by doing [Z].” Focus on quantifiable results and metrics where possible (percentages, numbers, improvements). Remember that you can use this formula for relevant volunteer experience, awards, projects, and special achievements also.
6. Leverage technology tools
Customizing your resume can seem like difficult or tedious work, but you have an advantage no other generation before you had. Today’s software, AI tools, and apps can simplify the process of tailoring your job history for a specific position. You can use online tools for everything from sketching out a resume outline and brainstorming your achievements to drafting your professional summary and more. Just be sure to edit everything and personalize it so it’s truly your own. AI is smart—but it doesn’t have your unique winning personality!
What to do:
Use resume tools like Teal HQ, Careerflow, or JobScan to analyze the job description for top hard skills and soft skills. Have the tool identify keyword gaps, and then optimize your document for ATS systems by incorporating those keywords into your application. Generative AI tools like ChatGPT can help you brainstorm how to describe various skills you have, and how to showcase measurable results that prove your expertise.
7. Align your LinkedIn profile (and online portfolio) with your resume.
Recruiters often check your resume against the information they can find about you online in places such as LinkedIn. This is an effective technique for them, as they can gain insights into how you approach your professional life. For you, it can be beneficial because your LinkedIn profile (or portfolio or website) can add valuable context and showcase examples of what you can do that don’t fit on your abbreviated one-page resume.
How to do it:
Make sure your LinkedIn profile matches the dates, job titles, and skills on your resume. Then, use the platform to share additional details about your professional life. List your accomplishments, add recent projects, and fill out the skills section with both hard skills and soft skills. Get up-to-date recommendations too, and add a link to your portfolio.
8. Address potential red flags like career gaps proactively.
Today, it’s not uncommon for people to have gaps in their resume. Whether you took time off to earn a degree, decided to be a stay-at-home mom or dad while your child was young, needed to take medical leave, or had trouble finding a role after a layoff, it’s important to be upfront about it. Being truthful matters, and providing explanations shows you can anticipate concerns and address them.
What to do:
Use your professional summary to address employment gaps, career pivots, or re-entry to the workforce in a positive way that highlights what you gained or learned during those periods. You don’t have to get into detail about what happened—just briefly mention the reason for the gap.
Summing It Up
Your resume is an essential part of your job marketing campaign—a key tool in showcasing your personal brand and proving you’re an ideal fit for the role you’re applying for. While customizing your resume may require a little additional effort, it will pay off by helping your application stand out and increase your opportunities for an interview where you can shine.
At inTulsa, we help talented people make their next successful career move in Tulsa. Join our Talent Network to browse the latest open roles, sign up for custom job alerts, and take advantage of our Elevate Your Career events for the latest webinars, networking events, and resources to help you land your dream job.
