These days, with so much uncertainty in many industries and global markets, as well as more people switching careers regularly, you often end up having a big pool of candidates to compete against when it comes time to find a new role. This can be particularly difficult when your local job market is declining, or when your industry is being disrupted. When this happens, you need to know how to shine, and stand out brightly from your competition. Read on for some key ways to go about this today.
Have a Stand-Out Resume
One of the key components of a strong application is your resume. This is usually the first thing HR managers or business owners see, so it really needs to show, within a few seconds, why you’re worth learning about further. You want a document that people will stop to read thoroughly, instead of just skimming before moving on to the next person’s.
There are numerous elements involved in putting together a CV that stands out. Make sure you use helpful formatting, for one. Readers have limited time, so won’t spend long on each document to begin with. As such, you must make your resume scannable (e.g. broken up into bite-size pieces of information instead of big blocks), and put the most important information first so it’s quickly evident that you have some of the skills and experience required.
Always tailor your resume to the position you want to land and the company you want to work for too. While you’ll have a template document to use as the basis, don’t keep sending out the same document to every potential employer – the jobs will likely be different in some capacity, plus the recruiters will be looking for different things. Read the job ad carefully for clues, and research firms so you get an understanding of how they work and what qualities they may want in their team members. Be sure to include any appropriate “Buzzwords” contained in advertisement you’re responding to in your resume.
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