What are the Three Most Important Things to Include on Your Resume?

If your resume isn't reaping the results you want, it may be time for a refresh. With the stiff competition and rapidly changing dynamics of the job market, it can be difficult to keep up. A good strategy is to focus on the three areas that are most important to hiring managers: customizing your resume for the job description, using relevant keywords throughout and providing quantifiable data to validate your accomplishments.

Customization

Gone are the days of sending one version of your resume out to hundreds of prospective employers. With the fierce competition of today's job market, a generic resume and cover letter just doesn't cut it with hiring managers. Instead, take the time to research the company you're interested in. Scour company websites and social media pages to get a good idea of the company's values and culture. Use this information, along with details from the company's posted job description, to craft a compelling and customized cover letter and resume. Hiring managers often don't have more than a few moments to dedicate to a single applicant, so it's your job to illustrate how well you'd fit in with the company. Make sure your resume and cover letter highlight your most relevant skills and experiences that meet the company's exact needs.

Keywords

Your resume isn't likely to make it past most companies' applicant tracking software systems without the right keywords. The keywords you use should be a mixture of commonly used industry terms and specific phrases a company uses in its job description. Strategic use of relevant keywords throughout your resume helps match your skills and experience with a company's needs and makes your resume easier for targeted employers to find on job posting sites.

Numbers

A hearty list of fancy accomplishments looks nice on paper, but doesn't mean much to hiring managers without quantifiable data to back it up. Wherever possible, include statistics, dollar figures or other numerical information to validate your accomplishments. Doing so shows hiring managers exactly how valuable you can be to their organization. For instance, instead of listing "excellent managerial skills," describe how your management of a group of five people resulted in a 25 percent increase in departmental sales or productivity. Readers are naturally attracted to numerical figures, so include them wherever you can. Even a less specific estimate or range of numbers has more impact than vague phrases without numbers. Listing your exact contributions along with brief explanations of how you made them happen makes a big impact and is more likely to get your resume pulled for an interview.

Competition for the good jobs is at an all-time high, so put together a carefully formatted resume that includes the most important elements to hiring managers. Focus on quantifiable achievements, use strategically placed keywords and customize your resume for every job opportunity to give yourself an edge over other candidates.

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