Take Your Job Search to the Next Level With These Secrets

Your professional resume is a crucial element of your job search. While crafting this document, many job seekers underestimate themselves, though, and neglect to put their best assets in the spotlight. Take your search to a new level with these three resume-crafting strategies designed to showcase your talents, skills and experience.

1. Don't Leave Any Questions Unanswered

Even if you have a few areas in your career history that may raise eyebrows, offering a full explanation on your professional resume helps to eliminate any doubt. For example, if you have gaps in your work experience, avoid leaving gaps on your application materials. Instead of trying to hide the gaps, fill them in with entries that show you were attending college, working on your skills or volunteering your time while unemployed. Gaps in work history sometimes lead hiring managers to make assumptions that may not be in your favor, which could negatively impact your chance of moving forward as a viable candidate. Employers do not expect you to be perfect, but they want to know you have made the most of your time throughout your career history.

2. Showcase Your Skills

When compiling your professional resume, put your skill sets in the spotlight. Show off what you know by offering specific examples or scenarios from previous positions. This gives potential employers insight into how you utilize your skills. For instance, describe your duties as an intern that helped you learn more about the field and better prepared you for your job search. Applicants should also spend time researching the job description and the advertisement to identify keywords and skills the employer desires. Outline skills that are both relevant and transferrable on your professional resume, and provide examples of your success as both a team player and solo worker on the job.

3. Focus on Your Soft Skills

Employers seek candidates who can interact well with clients, co-workers and managers. Your soft skills matter. Even if you have not yet gained experience in your field, you possess soft skills. Detail your work in customer service, explore how you collaborated with classmates in college and focus on your communication skills gained from part-time jobs, even if these positions are not related to your industry. Your professional resume and cover letter should offer a balance of both hard and soft skills so employers can see that you are well-rounded personally and professionally.

Whether you are new to a field or looking to transfer your skills into another industry, prepare for your employment search by crafting a professional resume that highlights your skills. Your soft skills and hard skills matter to potential employers, which is why your application materials should showcase how you can positively impact each employer's productivity, profits and culture.

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