You must “know thyself” before you can put together an honest resume that stands out from the crowd. The reality is that there are multiple candidates going for the same job in this market. Many quality candidates are being overlooked just because their resume doesn’t catch the eye of the decision maker.
Help your recruiter help you get that next great assignment! Here are a few tips to help you make sure your resume stand out and increase your chance to shine on that next interview.
1. Know your resume
Know your resume like it is your telephone number or address. You should be able to recite its content and elaborate when called upon. This one page summary of your work history, skills and achievements is what gets you to the interview. Go over the details of your resume with your recruiter so they can effectively sell your skills to the client.
2. Assess Your Credentials
How do you measure up for the position? Besides the qualifications described, do you offer any added bonus? If you are lacking in one area, do you make up for it with other credentials? It never hurts to get help assessing your skills. Ask your colleagues and supervisors what they see as your top qualifications and attributes. Review your performance evaluations to see what others say about the quality of your work. Then write a list of your top five marketable credentials.
3. What Do You Bring to the Table
We call this “sizzle” at Aureus. Work your top qualifications into your summary. This summary helps the hiring manager determine if you should be called for an interview so you want the manager to see the most important information first. Include a synopsis of your career achievements. Explain how you would help solve their problems while answering the question “how will the employer benefit from hiring me?”
4. Focus on specific skills and instrumentation experience
Be sure to update your resume frequently and include new instrumentation, skills, computer experience and facility size that you have added along the way.
5. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
First impressions are lasting impressions. Errors, however small, give the impression that you do not pay attention to detail. You want your resume to be free of errors.