Top 5 Tips For Writing A Job-Winning Resume

Whether you are applying for a job in your country or planning to migrate for work, you’ll need to develop a job-winning resume to beat other candidates to the finish line. 

Many people believe that the interview is key to securing a job without realising the significance of a well-crafted resume and a cover letter.  

Your resume should stand out while precisely highlighting your unique qualifications, recognitions, and accomplishments. 

Top Job-Seeker Tips

Let’s take a look at the top 5 tips for a job-winning resume to help you understand more. 

Key Highlights:

1. Include Keywords 
2. Correct Formatting 
3. Highlight Your Achievements Instead Of Your Responsibilities 
4. PDF > MS Word 
5. Proofread 
6. Thinking of Working Abroad?

1. Include Keywords 

In today’s hi-tech world, many companies depend on applicant tracking systems (ATS) to streamline the initial resume screening process. Interestingly, ATS systems are programmed to search for specific keywords related to the industry. 

Therefore, including keywords in your resume is advisable to increase your chances of getting through ATS filters and into the hands of hiring managers. A great way to select the right keywords to incorporate in your resume is by reviewing the job posting and identifying specific terminologies used throughout the ad. 

It is important to use every keyword in an organic and natural manner. Avoid keyword stuffing at all costs, or your resume could come off as inauthentic and deliberate. 

You can research keywords related to the industry or the job you are applying for and integrate them into your resume. This is the ultimate tip to boost your resume’s visibility, especially if many other candidates are competing for the same position. 

2. Correct Formatting 

Formatting is one of the most important components of a job-winning resume. Follow these formatting techniques to make a good first impression on the hiring managers.

• Use easy-to-read fonts 
• The font size should be 10, 11, or 12
• Set margins to 0.5 inch 
• Leave sufficient white space 
• Choose a simple layout and design 
• Avoid using fancy graphics and custom fonts, photos, and layouts 
• Don’t use MS Word resume templates since they are pretty common and easily recognisable
• Make a single-page resume 
• Describe your previous job(s) in the past tense and the current one(s) in the present tense
• Use italic, underlining, and bold formatting for greater readability 

  Don’t forget that good formatting is pivotal to getting an interview call from a reputable organisation. So, never underestimate its significance. 

3. Highlight Your Achievements Instead of Your Responsibilities

Nowadays, you cannot leave your resume incomplete by only mentioning your duties at your previous or current job(s). It is better to highlight your achievements and provide quantitative data to prove your competency. 

It gives employers a clear idea of the impact you can have on their organisation. Plus, it shows your value as a dedicated and disciplined employee. You can also include specific examples showcasing your achievements and skills fully. 

Mention the successful projects you have led, the recognition you’ve received, and the improvements you have made to different systems and processes. Moreover, support your accomplishments by mentioning all the outcomes of your work, such as satisfied clientele, efficiency and productivity boosts, growth in annual revenue, etc. 

It’s all about letting the other person know everything you can offer their company. That’s what determines your value.

4. PDF > MS Word Doc  

A mistake many job candidates, especially beginners, are seen making is sending their resumes as a Word document. Firstly, it looks highly unprofessional to send a Word doc. Secondly, any errors and formatting inconsistencies become more apparent in Word documents. 

MS Word highlights all the mistakes in the document it opens. So, if the hiring manager opens your resume and multiple errors are clearly visible on the screen, you will likely get rejected. 

The takeaway is always to send your resume as a PDF. It hardly takes a minute to convert a Word document into a PDF via online tools. 

5. Proofread 

Never forget to proofread your resume to demonstrate your commitment to excellence and level-up other candidates fighting for the same position. You could be the right person for the

job, but it can all go down the drain if your resume has spelling mistakes, grammatical inconsistencies, and punctuation errors. 

You can take help from different online tools to proofread your resume effectively. For instance, Grammarly is great at identifying spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and incorrect sentence structure. Apart from detecting errors, this tool also gives valuable suggestions for corrections. 

You may ask trusted and experienced peers to proofread your resume. You can seek their advice on how to improve your resume and cover letters to stand out from other candidates and go forward in the hiring process. 

In addition to this, ensure to review your resume and other attached documents to confirm they are all free of errors. Otherwise, you risk throwing off the hiring managers. 

Thinking of Working Abroad?

When it comes to working abroad, you need to consider a lot of different factors. Which country are you interested in? Will your skills, expertise, and work experience help you secure a job abroad? Will you need sponsorship from your employer? 

Such questions need to be answered. For instance, which UK work visa should you consider if you wish to migrate to the UK? 

Of course, working abroad entails a lot of intricacies and hurdles you have to overcome. It involves researching and learning useful information about the work visa of your preferred country, way of life, work culture, immigration changes, etc. 

It becomes exceedingly challenging to gather valuable information from authentic sources. 

You can visit visaandimmigrations.com to read details about work visas in different countries. 

Final Words 

The tips we have highlighted here can help you create a job-winning resume without any difficulty. Remember, it’s all about making a good first impression on the hiring managers. Furthermore, your resume should answer all the questions a hiring manager could have about your qualifications and achievements. 

Register yourself at Jobs N Recruitment (JnR) to streamline your search for a job and land your desired role efficiently. 

Good luck!