How to Get More Interviews with Your Resume

Are you one of those unlucky job seekers who rarely hear back from employers? Do you feel that your job applications are going straight to some hiring manager’s trash can? The way you write your resume matters a lot when it comes to acceptances and rejections. If your resume addresses all the needs of the employer, you are very likely to get shortlisted for an interview.

So, how can you write a resume that gets you more interviews? First, you have to understand the employer’s needs. Your resume must showcase that you have the qualifications that the employer wants to see in an ideal candidate. Let’s have a look at how you can improve your resume to get more interviews:

Keep it short

It is important that you don’t let your resume get too long. Years ago, it was acceptable for resumes to be three or five pages long. Today, resumes are more on the concise end of things. Ideally, a resume should be one or two pages long if you are applying for an entry-level or mid-level position. For job seekers targeting C-suite and higher management roles, it is common to have a three-page resume.

Include the right sections

Hiring managers expect to see certain key elements on your resume. When you categorize your information into distinct sections on the document, it becomes easier for recruiters to scan your resume. Therefore, you must create the right kind of resume sections. Here’s a breakdown of resume sections that you can create:

Must have resume sections:

• Contact information
• Resume summary
• Key skills
• Work experience
• Education

Additional resume sections:

• Volunteer work
• Projects
• Certifications and licenses
• Achievements
• Patents
• Awards and honors
• Publications
• Professional affiliations
• Hobbies and interests

Provide a clear structure and flow

It is important for your resume to have a clear structure that eases navigation. Then, the hiring manager does not have to run their eyes all over the document to find what they need at a glance. The content of your resume should flow seamlessly across the document, creating a pleasant reading experience for the hiring manager. You can use formatting tricks such as bullet points, white space, margins, etc. to facilitate this.

Remove the fluff

There is no use filling your resume with irrelevant information just to hit the two-page mark. Hiring managers only focus on the relevant professional information on your resume, so listing unnecessary personal information on the document may not work in your favor. You should remove personal details such as your full address, race, religion, date of birth, age, etc. from your resume to make it more relevant to the role.

Highlight your skills

Now, it is time for you to highlight the skills that make you the perfect fit for the role. Create a dedicated skills section toward the top half of your resume where a hiring manager can immediately notice it. Then, use bullet points to list 10-15 crucial skills for the role. These skills will most of the time be important keywords that improve the ATS compatibility of your resume.

Be specific in your narratives

No matter how ardently you claim that you “improved sales a lot” on your resume, a hiring manager would not take notice of that. Instead, you can give them some specifics to prove that you actually achieved what you are claiming. For example, “Improved sales by 25% within the third financial quarter using targeted digital marketing campaigns through the Meta platform,” reads so much better on a resume.

Add a touch of your personality

You can do this via the design of your resume as well as the content. When designing your resume, you can go for neutral colors that reflect your personality. You can also choose minimalist design elements to improve the visual appeal of your resume. So, how do you showcase your personality through the content of your resume? You can use the volunteer work section to showcase how you are passionate about giving back to the community. Or, you can highlight a few of your personal projects to demonstrate your passion for robotics.

Proofread several times

This is an important step that you just shouldn’t skip. Proofreading your resume to get rid of any potential spelling, grammar, and formatting mistakes is a must. What use is a well-thought-out resume if it has twenty typos that make the hiring manager roll their eyes? Review your resume critically for any possible mistakes. Once you are done, get a fresh perspective by asking a friend or colleague to read it.

Update regularly

Don’t make a habit of waiting until you are in the middle of a job search to update your resume. Practice updating your resume once a month. This way, you will stay on top of all the new and exciting developments in your career. You can have a separate master resume document that you update with all your achievements. When it is time for a job application, you can pick and choose the accomplishments to suit the needs of the role.