5 Things You Can Do to Make Sure Your Resume Gets Noticed by Recruiters

Getting your resume noticed can be tough, especially when it’s believed that many recruiters take only 7 seconds to skim through a resume. Recruiters are always thinking about their client’s needs, so they are usually fast when reviewing resumes. As a job seeker, you need to ensure your resume stands out and gets noticed by recruiters. While getting your resume noticed can be a tough task, it’s not impossible.

To get your resume noticed by recruiters, it’s important to find ways to stand out! Formatting your resume to be easily readable and making a personal connection are just a couple of things you can do. 

In the blog below, we cover five actionable tips for you to use to make your resume stand out and get noticed by recruiters. Take out your current resume and let’s knock this out together!  

Format Your Resume to be Easy-to-use

Formatting your resume is one of the most important steps in getting it noticed because it is one of the first things recruiters see. They don’t want to see wild colors, fancy fonts, profile pictures, or your home address. Using a Calibri, Arial, or Times New Roman font with size 11 or 12 makes your resume look clean and professional.

Add proper spacing. Without spacing, your resume will look like an essay with compiled paragraphs. When adding your previous employment, include at least 2-3 bullet points of your job responsibilities and stay between 1 to 3 sentences long explaining those responsibilities. Anything over might be too overwhelming to read.

At the top of your resume, be sure to include the following details:

• Your full name
• Contact information (phone number and a professional email address)
• If you have an up-to-date LinkedIn profile, include that link

 
The recruiter that reviews your resume will continue to skim through and look at your skill sets and then your previous job employment. Continually update your resume when you leave your last job and include your job responsibilities!
 

Get Rid of the Personal Clutter

While you want your resume to stand out, you also want the professional details to be straightforward. Your resume is supposed to be professional and not personal. Information such as your personal life, hobbies, or anything unrelated to work shouldn’t be included.

At the stage of submitting an application, recruiters and employers are only looking into your professional past. You may be asked to talk about your personal life during an interview, which is normal. Until you’re asked though, keep the focus on your experience and skills.
 

Consider Including Non-Work Experienced if it’s Relevant to the Job

If you are a recent graduate wanting to use your degree but need more work experience to land a job, here is what you can do instead of letting go of that opportunity.

Add to your resume any significant projects or papers you completed as a student. Some projects and assignments can highlight skills that are employers and recruiters are looking for, such as communication, time management, writing skills, teamwork, and research. Since this experience isn’t work experience, add a “Relevant Experience” section. This new section can help emphasize your abilities for the job, even though you don’t have direct work experience. Other details you can add in your “Relevant Experience” section include:

• Leadership skills
• Management skills
• Customer service skills
• Sales and marketing skills
• Technical skills

If you possess any of the following skills, add an example of how you implemented that skill and were there any obstacles that you had to overcome? This will give the recruiter more of an idea of who you are and spark interest
 

Make a Personal Connection

Many available jobs today invite candidates to apply online, and they usually entail you submitting your resume and answering a couple of questions. The problem with this situation is no form of connection is being built. Because many jobs require you to apply online, it can be difficult to make an initial first impression with just your resume and application.

While we obviously still recommend you abide by the rules and apply online, let’s add one more step for you to get noticed.

If the job you’re applying to is local to your area, print out a couple of resumes and drive to the company you applied to. Ask for a hiring manager or whoever is in charge and let them know you recently applied for a position at the company and want to introduce yourself formally. Be sure to dress appropriately based on the company, smile, and be polite.

This entire interaction may take less than 30 seconds, but can be extremely valuable. The individual you speak to may be so pleased that they immediately find your online application and call to schedule an interview. If you can’t speak to a hiring manager, it’s okay. Ask a front desk employee to hand your resume to the right person when they’re available and to let them know you’ve recently applied for a position.
If the job you’re applying to is for a remote role or not within comfortable driving range, you can still make a connection. Research the company on LinkedIn and try to connect with a recruiter from the company to let them know you’ve applied. You can also call the company and ask to speak to a recruiter.
 

Stay Within Your Skill Set

Your resume will get noticed when you have all the right skills and requirements you need for the position you apply for. If you falsify your resume, a recruiter or employer interviewing you will eventually uncover you don’t have the skills they’re looking for. Highlight any talents and qualifications you have learned or gained.

Don’t feel obligated to apply for a position that asks for specific skills you don’t have. If you’re asked to perform an interview, be honest and say you don’t have every skill or experience they are asking for, but you are open to learning and will put in all the effort. In some cases, communicating in such an honest way can help you stand out just as much as if you had the desired skills
 

Looking For New Opportunities? LandrumHR Has Your Next One!

Now that you’ve got some valuable tips for getting your resume noticed by recruiters, it’s time to update your resume and start applying! Visually look at your resume and see how your format looks. Does it look easy-to-read or unorganized? Go back to our tips and make those effective changes. 

For over 50 years, LandrumHR has connected job seekers with great jobs at excellent companies. We have the best staff and recruiters to work by your side step-by-step through your entire job-hunting process. Check out our available jobs and apply 24/7 at jobs.landrumhr.com.