Simply listing skills and experiences on your resume does not cut it anymore in the job market

Is this your first time creating a resume? Then, you may commit one of the most common mistakes that rookie resume writers make: just listing skills and experiences on the resume without providing proof.

Gone are the days when hiring managers were thrilled to see the terms “project management,” and “data analysis,” on a candidate’s resume. Today, hiring managers want to know how much profit the projects you managed brought in for the previous employer, or how you used your talents in data analytics to help strategic business planning at your former office.

Here are some tips that will help you effectively demonstrate your skills and experiences on a resume:

First, consider the format of your resume.

A clean and professional resume format that is easy to read is one you should go for. You can pick from several resume formats, such as the chronological resume format, the functional resume format, and the combination resume format. Ensure that you select the one that suits your qualifications and work history the best.

Kick your resume off with a strong resume summary

What better way to compel a hiring manager to read your resume than to charm their socks off with a killer resume summary statement? Remember to highlight your best skills and qualifications in your resume summary. If you can work an accomplishment in there, that’s even better. Do you feel like your resume needs more juice at the very beginning? Then, we have the perfect article on writing a superb resume headline for you!

Your key skills section must be to die for

Take a highlighter, grab a mug of coffee, and start analyzing the job description that the employer posted. Do you spot any keywords? Those are the terms and phrases that you must somehow work into your resume. Among the skills that the employer has requested, highlight the skills that you already possess. You can add these terms to your resume’s key skills section to make a great impact.

Next comes the work experience section

Remember how we said that simply listing your skills on a resume is not enough to impress the modern hiring manager? This is where we really get to work on making your resume shine. Organize your work experience section so that it reflects your career advancement journey. Then, start creating bullet points for each job entry.

Your basic bullet points just won’t do

“Responsible for payroll” and “involved in accounts payable,” are great phrases if you are trying to create a boring job advertisement. Don’t go adding laundry lists of job duties to your career history. Be strategic when you create your bullet points. Remember the skills that you mentioned in the skills section a few minutes ago? It is time for you to show how you have used them in the past to achieve solid results for your employers. Use a good blend of action verbs and adjectives to make your bullet points interesting to read.

Let your work experience section reflect a progression of responsibilities

Have you climbed up the career ladder for five years straight, earning promotion after promotion until you are a director? Then, by all means, let your resume reflect your career journey. List down the multiple roles you have held within the same company and show how your role and responsibilities grew with time. You will be showcasing how you have a penchant for advancing in your career. And employers love hiring employees who don’t remain stagnant in the same role for too long.