Easy Ways to Customize Your Resume

When employers have tons of resumes to scout through for a single job position, they often overlook the traditional, plain resume. Intelligent job seekers go beyond what is necessary to get called in for an interview. A customized resume can help you stand out in the applicant tracking system and help you get the job you deserve.

Highlight Your Skills

It is crucial to have your skills highlighted in your customized resume so employers can find and evaluate them quickly. Most employers only view a candidate's resume for a few seconds before they decide if the person is a worthy candidate to consider, but placing the information out in the open helps hiring managers to focus on you.

Edit Your Job Descriptions and Experience

If you want to show you have enough experience to meet the job qualifications, you should alter the content of your job duties on your customized resume. Include job duties that are relevant to the job you want in each work description, and the hiring manager will easily see that you possess the necessary experience to handle the job. In your experience section, eliminate unnecessary work that can distract the hiring manager reading your resume. If you held a job more than a decade ago, it may not be considered relevant work experience by the employer.

Use Keywords

Many employers are using applicant tracking systems to help them select the best employee for a job, and the system ranks resumes based on how many relevant keywords and phrases from the job description that a candidate includes on the resume. To help your resume beat the system, simply add a few main keywords and brief phrases from the job description into your customized resume. With this strategy, your resume will likely come up as a great match for any position you apply for.

Personalize the Design of Your Resume

By personalizing the design of your resume, you can invent a customized resume that reflects your personality. Consider placing your resume on softly colored paper to make it stand out on the hiring manager's desk. Colors such as cream, pale blue, dusty rose or gray are professional options. Consider adding a border if you want a bit of design, but avoid busy patterns that can distract readers from the content. Adding your signature is another unique touch that warrants extra attention in a digitalized world.

Hire a Professional

If you want your customized resume to be flawless, you should consider hiring a professional. A professional resume writer can help you place your information in a stylish, efficient format that gets noticed by employers. For a small fee, those who lack computer skills or who simply don't have the time to create a customized resume can obtain a solid one without the stress.

Customized resumes are attractive to hiring managers because they show that the applicant took the time to prepare a specific resume for the position. With a little effort, a computer and a job description on hand, you can create a customized resume easily. Remember to create one for each position that you apply for to drastically improve your chances of employment.

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