I’m sure you have heard the expression, “You can have it all.” Well, when it comes to getting your resume noticed and setting yourself apart from other candidates, I think that’s a myth. You can’t have it all—at least not in one document.

But there are plenty of ways you can make sure that the content of your resume is top-notch and will impress potential employers. In this article, you will learn different ways to ensure you have an eye-catching resume.

How can I attract attention to my resume?

There are several ways to do this. One of the most effective is to highlight your skills and experience—this makes it easier for employers to see what they need in an applicant. You can also use action verbs (e.g., “led,” “managed,” etc.) to show that you have certain abilities or qualities.

A second way to attract attention is by highlighting your achievements and accomplishments. This can be done by listing specific examples of what you’ve done in the workplace, as well as any awards or recognitions received.

Here are other tips on how to do so:

• Focus on your career goals, not just your job responsibilities.
• Keep it to one page if possible; two pages is the maximum length you should consider using.
• Use a clear, easy-to-read font and formatting. Use bullet points to organize major points and keep the length of your resume under two pages.

As an Accounts Payable Administrator, for instance, your resume should be prepared in the following structure (which highlights your experiences and outlines your responsibilities):

Professional Experience

Dean Foods Company — Fort Worth, TX 11/10 to Present

Accounts Payable Operations Administrator

• Responsible for resolving AP banking reconciliation, positive pay, ACH Returns/Rejects
• Handle daily accounts payable activities for multiple subsidiaries within the company
• Serve as a liaison for Corporate Treasury and AP Operations while working closely with Cash Disbursements to assist with daily activities
• Create AP processing attachments such as Debit/Credit Memos and Stop Pay Voids
• Assist Internal/External Audit partners with requests for unclaimed property audits
• Assist with maintaining the Supplier Master database

How do you write a resume for an eye-catching summary?

The best way to write a resume summary is to keep it short and sweet. You don’t want the hiring manager reading just one sentence on your resume; you want them to be able to quickly glance at your summary and get a good idea of what your experience is like.

You want to highlight your most relevant experience, but you don’t want it to take up too much space on the page. You also want it to be interesting enough that the hiring manager will actually read through the rest of your resume!

The best way to do this is to focus on what you’ve done, rather than what you want to do. Hiring managers are looking for candidates who have experience doing specific tasks at a high level of quality. You don’t want to say that your goal is “to be an expert at data analysis,” because it doesn’t tell the hiring manager anything about your skillset or interests.

Instead, write about all the projects that you completed where you gained expertise in data analysis. For instance, if you worked at a consulting firm, you could write about how you analyzed customer data to help businesses increase their sales.

Or if you worked in retail or hospitality, focus on the ways that your store improved customer satisfaction after implementing new software. This is a great way to show off your skills, without sounding too generic.

To demonstrate how to do this, I’ll give you an example (in this format, you’ll see that the words and sentences are precisely defined, taking up little space, but highlighting the pertinent experiences):

Example:

Accounts Payable Associate

• Processed up to 5,000 invoices per month for large, multi-site organizations
• Assessed and closed A/P sub-ledger on a monthly basis
• Ensured all payable invoices were processed in an efficient manner to earn discounts and matched to the purchase orders submitted for authorization of purchase
• Processed check requests, expense reports, and special handling invoices
• Balanced audit reports ensure the accuracy of posting
• Reconciled bank balances; recorded general ledger entries
• Negotiated effectively with vendors to delay payments by up to 60+ days

How do you get your resume noticed and stand out from the competition?

Step One: Write a Great Resume

Your resume is the first impression you make on a potential employer. It’s your opportunity to tell them everything they need to know about you, without wasting their time or yours.

The most important thing is to make sure your resume is easy for the employer to read and understand. Make sure it’s not too long and that each section has a clear purpose.

Step Two: Get Your Resume Out There

The more resumes you send, the better your chances of finding a job. A good rule of thumb is to send out at least 10 copies of your resume for every position you apply for. If your resume doesn’t get any responses after sending out 20 copies, it may be time to reevaluate what kind of jobs you’re applying for and how well-qualified they are for someone in your field.

Step Three: Follow Up If you can’t afford to send out a lot of resumes

Make sure you follow up with each employer who received one. It’s best to do this in person if possible—just call and ask if they have any positions available that might be a good fit for you. If they do, make an appointment to interview them. If they don’t, ask if they have any suggestions for where you might look next. This will also give you a chance to find out what kind of person the employer wants in their organization—and whether there are any issues with your resume that might make them think twice about hiring you.

How do you sell yourself on a resume?

The key is to be strategic and intentional about what you include and how you present yourself. And the first step is to understand that your resume is not a list of all the things you’ve done, but rather a tool for telling a story about your career and highlighting the most relevant experience that speaks to the needs of your target employers.

One important thing to remember is that your resume should not be a complete list of everything you’ve ever done in your career. You need to pick and choose what to include, as well as how it’s presented. The other key is to focus on accomplishments rather than just responsibilities or duties.

In this case, the applicant went above and beyond the call of duty to highlight her accomplishments in order to get the attention of the hiring manager.

 Example:

Education and Proficiencies

Associate of Arts Degree Accounting: University of Phoenix College — Phoenix, AZ (2008). GPA (3.87) (Cum Laude)

Bachelor’s of Science Business Technical Management with a Major in Human Resources: DeVry University – Illinois (2010) Currently enrolled – 24 credit hours remaining GPA (4.0) (Cum Laude)

Computer Skills: Windows XP/Vista, Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Shared Services, Prodagio, JDEdwards, AS400, Lotus Notes, Capture Perfect 3.0, Epicor Mainframe, and Microsoft Money

Special Skills: Analytical, time management, organizational, strong verbal and written communication skills, ability to work with minimal supervision, possess high attention to detail and accuracy, a strong team player

How can I make my resume irresistible?

The resume is often the first thing a potential employer will see, and that’s why you want to make sure it’s perfect. You need to take the time to customize it for each job application so it highlights your skills and experience that are relevant to the position. While you may think your resume is solid, there are many ways to make it even better. Use these tips and tricks to make your resume stand out from the crowd and get noticed by recruiters:

• Use a resume template. A lot of people think they have to design their own resume from scratch, but that’s not the case. You can find plenty of templates online that will make it easy for you to design an attractive and professional-looking resume without having to figure out the layout yourself.
• Use bullet points. You don’t need to use complete sentences in your resume; instead, you can use short bullet points to highlight your skills and experience. This makes it easier for recruiters to quickly scan through your resume and see what they want at a glance.
• Use a clean format. If you’re using bullet points, then your resume should be formatted as a list. This makes it easier for recruiters to scan through quickly and see what they want at a glance.

Everything in this sample is modified, even the bullet points. It also has a clean format and a template.

EXPERIENCE

CUSTOMER SERVICE SPECIALIST-CONTINUUM – Charlotte, NC-January 2022 – Present

• Providing quality customer service for Verizon customers.
• Process plan changes and equipment purchases.
• Provides detailed information on billing inquiries.

IN-FORCE POLICY SPECIALIST–EQUITABLE– Charlotte, NC-September 2020 – June 2021

• Educated policyholders on COVID-19 provisions in billing.
• Scheduled payment arrangements.
• Processed eligibility documentation.

RELATIONSHIP CASE MANAGER –EQUITABLE January 2020 – August 2020

• Processed life insurance applications.
• Collected policyholder information from insurance agents.
• Handled verification of underwriting documentation.

ASSOCIATE- EQUITABLE January 2019 -December 2019

• Administrative support for Equitable Reg. 60 policy group during New York state compliance audit.
• Updated proposed life insurance policy disclosures with side-by-side comparisons of competitors’ coverage.
• Conducted correction reviews of outgoing Inforce policies.

PROJECT COORDINATOR- AMT DIRECT– Charlotte, NC-September 2018 – December 2018

• Developed successful strategies with the project manager to complete lease accounting and administrative software installations for commercial real estate clients on a 120-day timeline.
• Maintained project plans, schedules, and work hours using MS Project.
• Ensured adherence to project framework through daily and weekly status meetings.

CONCLUSION

Creating a resume is an important step in the job search process. It’s your first opportunity to communicate your value and skills to potential employers, and it’s one of the many tools we use to find candidates with the right experience for our client opportunities. A resume is an essential tool for job seekers to communicate their values, skills, and experiences. It should be customized to each industry and position you are applying for.

If you need help with your resume, we have a team of experts that can help you with your resume and cover letter.