ATS-Friendly Resume Tips: Build a Job-Winning Resume

Want to land your dream job? Learn how to create an ATS-friendly resume with expert tips on formatting, keywords, and structure to beat applicant tracking systems. In this digital era, an ATS-friendly resume is a must, or your resume might skip the recruiter’s eye in seconds. Whether you’re looking for your first job or looking forward to landing a dream role, your resume is what gets your foot in the door.

In this article, we will be sharing a guide on how to make your resume stand out by avoiding the mistake that may get you rejected in seconds.

-Write a professional summary
-Resume writing tips from the experts
-Resume design hacks
-Avoid common mistakes
-Showcase your skill by using the right keywords

Write a professional summary

A resume is often considered your first introduction to your hiring manager. An ideal professional summary should be eye-catching and should grab attention right away. So here are some tips to make your career summary that help you stand out immediately from the competition

1. Should grab the reader’s attention Quickly

Experts reveal that hiring managers spend about 5-7 seconds on average while reviewing each resume, which is a very short time for a resume to leave the right impression. Recruiters see hundreds of generic resumes each day, so your resume should catch their attention from the first line.

2. Highlight Your Skills Like A Pro

Your resume must focus on the value and skills you bring to the table. Market yourself, and don’t be afraid to show off your biggest achievement. Use the technical keywords to describe your skills, and make sure you mention all the skills and certifications you have earned.

Example: An awarded qualified sales executive with years of industry experience.

Expert writing tips for resumes that stand out

A professional role has no place for an unprofessional resume. The job of every resume is to perfectly show who you are and what innovation you bring to the table. So, here are some tips shared by experts on what a resume should look like

1. Keep your resume short and crisp

For better results, experts recommend a resume should be ideally 1-2 pages. While writing the content of your resume, ask yourself, “What does this piece of information add to your resume?” set your priority and key pointers ready, because there is no point stuffing too much information

2. Tailor Your Resume For The Role

Sending the same old resume to every employer could be a big mistake. Every job description may require different skill sets that you may have but are not highlighted in your resume. If you want to boost your chances of success, the best practice is to tailor your resume according to that specific role. Thoroughly analyze the job description and note down the specifications, and implement those keywords into your resume.

JD example: We are looking for an experienced, talented marketing manager to join our team. The ideal candidate should have solid experience in developing and executing marketing strategies, upscaling campaigns, and boosting brand awareness.

Ideal Resume: I am a results-driven marketing manager with over XYZ years of experience in developing and executing marketing strategies that drive brand growth and a proven ability to optimize campaigns.

3. Market your hard and soft skills

While you create a list of your skills, make sure you don’t miss out on your soft skills while focusing on your hard skills. Hard skills are often technical skills that describe your regular work, which requires technical knowledge. Whereas soft skills demonstrate your ability to work well as part of a team and get the job done efficiently.

• Hard skills: SEO, CMS, Marketing Java, Python, Coding, etc.
• Soft Skills: communication, time management, and organization.

Resume Formatting Advice for Professional Appearance

While creating a resume, minimize cluttering by leaving a space between sections to improve legibility and allow important details to stand out. Make sure you use one or two professional, readable fonts to keep it consistent and not randomly looking. Finally, opt for a classic design for most industries, but consider a more creative template if you’re in a design-focused field.

Avoid These Common Mistakes While Creating A Resume

• Proofread: Not proofreading your resume leads to spelling and grammatical mistakes that are enough to put any hiring manager off.
• Images: Including charts, graphs, or images. You don’t need to include imagery on your professional resume.
• Complicated language: Your resume tone should be easy to understand. You have no way of telling who will read your resume first, so make sure a common man can understand your resume.

So the next time you send out a resume, make sure you include the most relevant information on your resume, organize it to highlight the most important information, and review for errors. Once your resume is polished and finalized, it should help you get more job calls, interviews, and ultimately land a job offer.