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Recruiter advice: Tips to write a resume that stands out
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Key takeaways:
- Use a clean format with clear sections, bullet points and professional fonts.
- Customize your summary, experience and skills to align with each job application, using keywords.
- Showcase measurable accomplishments, relevant certifications and skills.
Your resume is often the first impression you make on a potential employer. To help you stand out, we’ve compiled insights from experienced recruiters. Use these tips to polish your resume:
1. Keep it simple and professional
- Use readable fonts: Stick to classics like Arial or Times New Roman in sizes 10–12.
- Be succinct: Use bullet points to make your responsibilities and achievements easy to scan.
- Avoid visual distractions: Skip photos, graphics and overly decorative designs.
- Organize clearly: Structure your resume with these sections —
- Contact information: Include a name, phone, email and LinkedIn profile.
- Summary: Outline your qualifications tailored to the job.
- Experience: Highlight relevant roles and quantifiable results.
- Education: List degrees, institutions and honors.
- Skills: Emphasize job-specific technical or professional skills.
2. Make a strong first impression
Consider adding a summary to help set the tone for the document. To make it effective:
- Keep it concise: Limit it to 3–5 sentences highlighting your most relevant skills and achievements.
- Tailor it for each job: Customize the summary, using keywords to align with the role you’re applying for.
- Highlight accomplishments: Include specific, quantifiable results (e.g., "Increased social media engagement by 25%").
Example summary:
"Results-driven marketing professional with over eight years of experience in digital marketing and brand management. Proven track record of increasing online engagement by 30% and driving revenue growth through innovative campaigns. Skilled in SEO, content strategy and data analysis.”
3. Highlight your education and technical skills
If you’re applying for technical or specialized roles, your education and skills can set you apart. Here’s how:
- Detail relevant education: Include degrees, institutions, and any coursework that aligns with the job requirements.
- Showcase certifications: Add industry-recognized certifications to demonstrate expertise.
- List technical skills: Highlight tools, software and programming languages relevant to the role.
Resume checklist
Your resume is your professional story. To help you in your job search journey, we’ve included a resume checklist for you to download. Once you’re done, make sure to explore new opportunities on our job search page.
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