Resumes 2012: 5 Key Tips to Get Yours Noticed – Huffington Post

With limited job opportunities and competition levels remaining high, your resume has to be top-notch. Not only does it need to make a dynamic first impression, it must also distinguish you from the competition and set you apart as the ideal candidate for the job. Moreover, your resume has to deliver your key selling points within a very brief amount of time.Key skills and experience must be placed in a certain order. In English, we read from top to bottom and from left to right. This means that in order to immediately grab the reviewer’s attention, you’ll need to make certain the most relevant and important items are placed towards the top and the left of your resume.This principle holds true for each section. Oftentimes, a reviewer will scan through the first page noticing where you worked and the first couple of bullets under each position. Therefore, you’ll want to make certain you select your strongest bullet points for the top of each list.There’s no way around this one: you have to customize each resume to the position for which you’re applying. If you don’t, you’re wasting your time. Employers are providing you with their wish list in the position description. You’ll want to match this list as closely as you can because there’s no doubt that your competition will be customizing their resumes — yours will fall short if you don’t. It’s better to send out one or two targeted resumes than five hundred that are boilerplate. By following these five tips and loading your resume with current industry buzzwords as well as strong examples of you performing at your best, you should start seeing results. Early fall is generally one of the strongest hiring periods of the year, so now is the time to double your efforts and get out there. A strong and effective resume just might open the door to your next position… and that’s a pretty great way to top off your summer!

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Resumes 2012: 5 Key Tips to Get Yours Noticed – Huffington Post