Make Your Resume Stand Out By Clearly Highlighting What Matters Most

Whenever a job opens up, especially in a big company, recruiters receive a lot of resumes. But let’s face the fact: not all of them get a second look. Why? Because they mention generic or less relevant things and miss what matters the most. If you are also not getting interview calls or even a follow-up email, you are likely making the same mistake. 

However, now that you have arrived at this page, there is nothing to worry about. We will walk you through some effective practices that will help you enrich your resume with the most essential elements. 

By the end, you will be ready to create one that makes your application stand out. 

So, ready to make a difference? Let’s roll. 

Put Your Best As A Summary At The Top

The top part of your resume catches the eye first. If it doesn’t retain the attention of hiring managers, they will move on to the next one. That’s why you must start with a compelling 3-4 line summary giving a quick overview of who you are and what makes you worthwhile. It should briefly highlight your background and strengths at a glance. 

For this purpose, compile all the essential information about you and create a concise summary. 

However, if you get confused about what to keep and what to skip, then use an online tool to summarize any text with AI, including job summaries. Once you have the best version, make any necessary manual tweaks and add it to the top.

Highlight The Job Description Demands

One important thing that recruiters look for in a resume is how well it aligns with the job description. Remember, they always prefer the candidate who has the required skills and experience. That’s why you must ensure that you highlight the things that the company truly needs. For that, you will have to read the job description carefully. 

When going through postings, whether on the company’s official platforms or a third-party recruiting site, note down the key requirements. This way, you will be able to incorporate those keywords in your resume. As a result, it will become perfect for the role you are applying for. And remember, you need to do this every time you apply to different organizations. 

Mention Achievements, Not Just Responsibilities 

Remember, professionals with the same designation or job role have nearly the same duties in different companies. For example, marketing executives are usually responsible for handling social media, running ad campaigns, or managing brand promotions anywhere they work. If you’re applying in the BPO sector, check out these BPO resume formats to tailor your resume for customer service and call center roles. But what sets you apart is what you achieved while performing those regular responsibilities. 

When you replace what you were supposed to do with what you accomplished, your resume automatically stands out. So, even if it’s a minor achievement, add it in the relevant section. Most importantly, if you have succeeded in something highly relevant to the job you are applying for, don’t forget to include that. These are the things that make a real difference. 

Maintain A Good Structure To Get Noticed

Even if your resume perfectly matches the job requirements, it may still not get noticed. Wondering how? Well, it usually happens when you don’t structure it in a good manner. Due to this, everything feels messy, and the hiring manager skips the things that really need to be seen. 

So, if you want all the important elements to get attention at first glance, structure your resume clearly.

And this is not all about making more and more sections. Instead, it involves limiting your resume to just the necessary parts and using bullets and numbers smartly. Whether it’s skills, experience, or achievements, list each point as a bullet to make it easy to scan. Also, don’t lengthen things unnecessarily. Instead, keep your document up to one page or two if needed.

Make The Most Of Action Words And Numbers

Another smart practice to emphasize essential points in your resume is using action words and numbers. Especially when you quantify things, they are more likely to impress the recruiter. 

Why? Because numbers impact more than words. Also, they shorten your statements and bring more clarity, which ultimately contributes to increasing the chances of you getting noticed. 

So, from experience to achievements, add numbers where suitable and don’t overstuff them. 

Along with that, start every bullet with an action word like led, improved, or managed, to make things punchy. For example, if you want to highlight that you reduced the cost in the previous company, you simply write, “cut cost by 20%.

Start Every Section With High-Impact Info 

It’s a natural human behavior to read the first few lines of every section when skimming a document. And most recruiters do the same. That’s why it’s a good approach to keep the high-impact info upfront so that it can compel the hiring person to go through the entire resume. 

So, no matter whether it’s an achievement or skill, begin with your most notable strengths. 

For example, if you have a total of 7 skills relevant to the job you are applying for, begin with the ones that closely match the job description. Similarly, place your biggest achievements at the top and follow with the less significant ones. 

This order ensures that the talent seeker spots your high-value points at first glance and gives you priority over others. 

Don’t Forget To Proofread And Edit

Imagine you mention all the important things, but your resume gets rejected due to some typos or formatting errors. Would you let this happen to you? Obviously not. 

Therefore, when you think that you have highlighted every necessary thing and no further writing is needed, don’t forget to revisit every section of your profile. Otherwise, you may lose the chance of getting hired just because of unseen blunders. 

So, read each part twice and ensure that you haven’t made any grammar mistakes anywhere. In case you notice any inaccuracy, don’t move to the next section until you remove it. Along with lingual blunders, make sure that you have added the correct data. Moreover, ensure consistency in font style, weight, and size for a better impact. 

Summing It Up

After going through this guide, we hope that you have learned what, where, and how to highlight the most important parts of your resume. Now that you know the right ways, it’s time to recraft your application document and make the needed adjustments according to the above-mentioned tips. If you apply to your next job after implementing our suggestions, we believe that you will surely get a positive response. Now that you know the right ways, it’s time to recraft your application document and make the needed adjustments according to the above-mentioned tips. Or, if you’d like expert help, explore our resume building services for a professionally tailored resume.