What do recruiters look for in a resume?

One day, while mindlessly scrolling through Instagram, you stumble upon an uber-cool post — your favorite brand is looking to hire individuals like you! You jump in delight until these words bring you back to the ground, ‘Email your resume to us.’ Suddenly, the job does not seem so fancy.

We understand that resume writing or designing can be a nerve-wracking process. You may spend millions of hours on Google trying to find appropriate templates and cheap tricks to help you draft an exceptional resume, but it would fail to portray you as the king of your profession.

Fortunately, the team at The Wise Idiot is here to help you. So, sit back, sip on a hot cup of chai while we help you design a resume that will stand out and convince the recruiter that you are the best person for the job.

Language and Grammar:

There should be no grammatical errors in your resume; it has to be spotless. Grammatical errors will make your recruiter think that you are neither diligent nor sloppy or worse, do not know the language. This is where being a grammar nazi pays off!

If you have a lot to cover on your resume, make your points brief and concise and highlight all the important details.

Use action verbs

Recruiters love action verbs. They are easy to read, take up less time, and helps the recruiter to understand you professionally. Some action verbs that you can use in your resume are achieved, obtained, participated, accomplished, etc.

Consistent story

This does not refer to a fictional one, but the story of your professional journey. Recruiters look for someone whose career progression tells a specific story. All the achievements and skills that you specify on the resume should be relevant and connected to the job description. For example, mentioning Graphic Designing as a skill while applying for an IT job is no bueno.

Add zen Keywords

Every job position has specific keywords that attract recruiters. If they are unable to see them at FIRST GLANCE, there is a high chance that your resume will get rejected. For example, for a graphic designing job, some important keywords include Adobe, Illustrator, Indesign, artist, design, etc. This combination of letters will help you create an awesome first impression.

Resume formatting:

Your resume should look professional, clean, co-ordinated, and easy on the eye. A cluttered, disoriented resume will not hold the recruiter’s attention for long and end up in the nearest trash can. It is also essential that all your academic and professional details are mentioned in reverse chronological order. If you are fresh out of college and applying for entry-level positions, you should focus on highlighting your internship experience, extra-curricular activities, and skills. If you are an experienced candidate, specify your actions and activities in previous job roles. Furthermore, highlight your leadership and team skills.

Rule of thumb: Your resume should be no longer than two pages. A one-page resume is even better!

Educational Details

Specify educational details like the name of the institution, the degree, the year of passing, grades obtained and specializations, if any. In case there is a gap in your education where you do not want to grab any attention towards it, do not add the dates.

Extracurricular activities:

Your resume should mention all the activities you have partaken besides the academic ones. Mention any awards or certifications you have received in that activity. This section is a must for all the freshers applying for jobs. It will help the recruiter understand your readiness and enthusiasm to perform a particular job.

Internships/Job experiences

This is the most important section of the resume. The company you have worked at along with the duration and job profile should be highlighted in your resume. You can also describe the projects you have contributed towards, if any.

Quantify your achievements

Recruiters are impressed with numbers. Try your best to quantify your achievements to back your contributions. For example, instead of writing, ‘I worked on multiple projects that helped my company’ you can write, ‘Contributed towards the implementation and installation of the module through automation resulting in a 20% increase in efficiency.’

A Not-so-fun fact: Recruiters do not spend more than six seconds to analyze your resume and make a decision.

Your resume should attract the recruiter within the first 3 seconds once they have it in front of them. The points above are based on our experience and expertise in creating resumes. You can try creating your resume using these tips or you can always reach out to the resume gurus here at The Wise Idiot.

Originally published at https://thewiseidiot.in on January 30, 2020.