Feeling stuck with your resume?
Not sure where you’re going with it, or whether you’re even doing it right?
Well, we’ve got your back!
In this article, we’re going to cover 9+ essential resume ideas & tips that’ll help you land your next job.
Ready?
Here’s what you need to know:
Resume Idea #1 - Use a Resume Builder
Without the right tools, creating a resume can be a long and painful process.
Even more so if you’re using a Word resume template.
You mess up one detail and the whole layout goes flying.
So, to save you trouble and headache, you can use an online resume builder instead.
The Novorésumé resume builder comes prepared with pretty much all the features you’ll ever need.
Right off the bet, the software does all the formatting for you.
And by using one of the many resume templates, you can edit, adjust, and customize your resume based on the position you’re applying for.
And to make things better, our templates are also ATS-friendly.
Meaning, if you have the right experience listed, you're sure to get past the automatic screening process!
Resume Idea #2 - Use Achievements Instead of Responsibilities
The most important part of any resume is the work experience section.
This is where you get to really sell yourself and show how you’re the perfect candidate for the position.
But what most people usually do here is simply list their daily job responsibilities and move on.
Here’s the thing though, most recruiters already know what your responsibilities were.
For example, if you worked in sales before, your responsibilities might have been something like:
- Talking with clients over the phone or email.
- Tracking and reporting on leads in your CRM.
- Maintaining relationships with clients and upselling products.
But that doesn’t actually say HOW you performed in your job.
To stand out, you should focus on achievements instead.
You can use actual data and numbers here to describe what you’ve accomplished.
For example:
Achievements Correct Example:
- Exceeded sales team KPIs by 25+ for 3 months straight.
- Generated over $24,000 in sales in 1 month.
In some cases, though, you won’t have that many achievements to talk about.
If you worked in the service industry, for example - you can’t say that you “served 30+ people per shift.”
In such cases, it’s totally OK to include responsibilities instead.
Resume Idea #3 - Pick a Reverse-Chronological Resume Format
Part of an effective resume is how you tell the story of who you are and what you’ve done.
For that, you need to make sure you’re using the right resume format.
To make things easy - you’ll want to use the reverse-chronological format.
It’s by far the most common one, and HR managers are used to it as well.
With this format, your work experience section receives the most emphasis, and items are listed from most recent to oldest.
Chances are, you’ve probably already seen / used this format in the past.
Here’s what it looks like in practice:
Resume Idea #4 - Tailor Your Resume to the Job
Want to convince the recruiter that you’re the perfect candidate for the job?
Instead of using the same old resume for each position you apply to, tailor it to the role.
To do this, go through the job ad you’re applying for, and extract all the essential skills they’re looking for.
For example:
In this job ad, some of the must-have skills are:
- Experience in creating digital experiences
- Proficiency in UX software
- Knowledge of interface patterns in mobile, web, and responsive design
- Understanding of HTML, CSS, and Java
So, you extract all these keywords, and you add them to your resume!
Resume Idea #5 - Catch the Recruiter’s Attention With a Resume Summary Done Right
Ever wondered how recruiters decide which resumes to read and which ones to discard?
They scan your resume for ~6 seconds max, and in that brief timeframe, they decide whether your application is relevant or not.
Want to make sure that your resume is read?
You’ll need to create a good resume summary.
For those of you that are new to the job market, a resume summary is a section that goes in your resume header and acts as an “introduction” to the rest of your resume.
It’s the first thing the recruiter reads, so it’s important to get it right and leave the right first impression.
A good resume summary is 2 - 4 sentences long and contains info on…
- Your biggest achievements to date
- Info about your career background
- 1-2 of your top skills
And here’s what a good resume summary looks like in practice.
Digital Marketing Manager Resume Summary Example:
“Professional digital marketing manager with 5+ years of experience in digital marketing. Social media marketing experience, including: Facebook, Google, and LinkedIn advertising. Experience in managing an account with a monthly budget of $30,000+. B.A. in Marketing Management, based in Berlin.”
Resume Idea #6 - Use Action Words
HR managers go through a thousand resumes every day, and they see the same old buzzwords:
- Team player
- Critical thinker
- Responsible for
- Good at communication
You’re bound to see these words on just about every single resume out there.
And guess what?
They don’t really mean much.
So, to stand out, you’ll want to use words that help show off your top achievements in the best way possible.
Want to spice up your resume and better convey your career highlights?
You can sprinkle some of these action words in your resume:
- Advised.
- Informed.
- Persuaded.
- Enabled.
- Inspired.
- Generated.
- Guided.
- Mentored.
- Achieved.
- Drafted.
- Customized.
- Boosted.
- Corrected.
For a complete list of power and action words to mention in your resume, check out our guide!
Resume Idea #7 - Fresh Graduate? Create a No-Experience Resume
Are you a fresh graduate or a student with little to no work experience?
You’re probably wondering:
“What CAN I even include in my resume?”
At worst, you might even be stuck with a blank piece of paper with your name on it.
Well, here’s some good news:
You don’t actually need work experience to create a good resume.
When it comes to hiring for entry-level positions, recruiters don’t expect you to have ANY work experience.
Instead, in a no-experience resume, they expect information on:
- Internships.
- Minimum wage summer jobs (cashier, server, etc.).
- Volunteer work.
- Soft and hard skills.
- Interpersonal skills.
- Online courses.
- Education.
- Academic achievements.
- Personal projects.
Now, that’s quite a lot go off on, isn’t it?
Even with ZERO real-life work experience, you can still create a convincing resume that lands you the job!
Resume Idea #8 - Working in a Creative Industry? Use a Creative Resume Template
Do you want your resume to stand out?
Are you in an industry that values creativity and individuality?
In that case, we’d recommend using a creative resume template.
These templates allow you to show off your best self without being tacky.
And the best part - you don’t have to design them from scratch, just give one of our templates a try!
Creative Resume Template
Modern Resume Template
Functional Resume Template
Resume Idea #9 - Working In a Conservative Industry? Use a Professional Resume Template
Meanwhile, if you’re working in a more conservative industry or a company, a more minimalistic resume template might be the way to go.
If that’s the case, you might want to check out our more professional resume templates.
The following templates focus more on your work experience and skills, while still being easy to follow and look good in their own way...
Professional Resume Template
Want to focus more on your skill-set, instead of work experience? This functional resume should do just the job.
Basic Resume Template
Basic doesn’t mean bad.
This minimalistic layout is extremely easy to follow, good-looking, and at the same time, professional and direct.
Executive Resume Template
Key Takeaways
To recap, there’s a lot that goes into perfecting a resume.
And now that we’ve covered the 9 most important resume ideas & tricks, you should have a general idea on how to get started.
Of course, creating a job-winning resume is only the first step.
So, if you’re looking for more actionable job hunting advice, be sure to check out our career blog for more value-packed guides!
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