13 resume tips to get recruiters calling you

Have you been on a job search for a while now? Then, you may have had the experience of sending out dozens of resumes a month only to hear nothing back from employers. Most of the time, you get ignored by recruiters due to an error-ridden resume. If you want to get a job quickly, you will need to start fixing your resume ASAP. Here are 13 resume tips from our experts to speed you along:

1. Use a professional email address

Did you know that a majority of job applications get rejected because candidates have not used a professional email address? Use your name and surname to create a professional email address for your job hunt.

2. Avoid generic adjectives

Whenever you describe your achievements on a resume, ensure that you give it a fresh look by incorporating personalized adjectives instead of generic ones.

3. Give priority to hard skills on your resume

Your resume does need to feature some soft skills. But, hard skills must have priority over them. You also need to mention a few transferable skills in the key skills section of your resume if you are writing a resume for a career change.

4. Create a separate accomplishments section

Adding accomplishments and achievements to your resume is the best thing you can do to brag about your skills to an employer. Use persuasive and concise language to describe your wins on your resume.

5. Decide the order of your resume sections

The order in which the sections of your resume must appear differs based on your experience level. If you are a college leaver or entry-level candidate, the education section must go first after the resume headline. If you are a more experienced job seeker, work experience is the first thing to go on your resume after the summary statement.

6. Provide explanations for your resume gaps

Taking a break from your career to travel, volunteer, or care for a family member is normal. Listing your career break upfront and providing a short explanation for it on your resume is beneficial for your job search.

7. Be careful when you add links to your social media

If you host any social media accounts related to your job or have a social media presence that enhances job-related skills, you must add links to those on your resume. Here’s an article explaining what you must consider before adding social media to a resume.

8. Watch the tense of the resume

Don’t let your resume go from the past tense to the present tense, and then back to the past tense. Your language and writing style will affect your chances of getting hired.

9. Don’t leave a single mistake on your resume

Always proofread your resume for spelling and grammar errors. Mistakes on your resume tell employers that you are careless and not attentive to detail.

10. Remove those references

Your references, or a line saying, “References can be provided upon request,” do not belong on a resume. Save valuable resume space by omitting those.

11. Don’t mention salary information on your resume

Let salary negotiations wait until the interview stage. Mentioning salary information on your resume is a mistake to make.

12. You don’t need to include your full address

Sharing personal information on a resume is never a good idea. Your full address is something recruiters don’t need to know. Listing just your city and state suffices for most job applications.

13. Create a matching cover letter

A cover letter that goes with your resume and emphasizes your worth will do wonders for your job application. Here’s an article that talks about the best practices for writing a cover letter.