Six Easy But Impressive Ways to Improve Your Resume - CareerAlley

Six Easy But Impressive Ways to Improve Your Resume - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. When youre applying for jobs, you know that you need to stand out. The competition is tough, and normally youre up against people with very similar qualifications and experience to yours. So, you need something that sets you apart. Something that makes you more than just a tick in the box. Something that makes you a valuable asset to any company. Sometimes, these extras need to be earned through your work. They might be winning awards on projects, getting glowing recommendations, or winning more business. But there are lots of things you can do yourself and in your own time, to help you stand out from the crowd. Take a training course You can never be too well-learned. And in some professionals, staying ahead of the game is vital. For example, if you work in digital, you cant be playing catch up. You need to know whats coming before anyone else does. So, show that youre passionate, educated and qualified by taking extra courses. If your profession doesnt lend itself to courses, then why not see what other training you can book onto? You could expand your knowledge of business in general, by enrolling on a business studies course. Or you could try something new, like courses on marketing or social media. Having extra qualifications that work side-by-side to your main vocation is a great way of showing that youre willing to learn, and will go the extra mile. Plus, its just another skill you can bring to a company. This article has some great ideas for how to learn new skills. Be health and safety savvy Nearly all businesses are required to have health and safety representatives. And this usually means a financial outlay to the company, as it has to pay for training and qualification. So, why not make life easier for your future employers, and come ready prepared with your own health and safety training. Its easy to find this sort of thing: for example, online CPR certification is a surefire way to help you stand out in the crowd, yet its not a huge commitment as you can do it online. You can find out more about health and safety in this post, one we wrote a while back. Volunteer for local businesses or charities If theres something you want to put on your resume, but you cant do it at work, then why not offer this skill on a voluntary basis? Its a win-win situation: you get the required skills and experience, and a company or charity can benefit from your hard work for free. If you can demonstrate that youve used a particular skill, that wouldnt normally sit within your job remit, youre showing that youre flexible and able to take on different duties. Plus, volunteering always looks good on your resume! You can find out more information on getting into volunteering here. Make it look good Image credit You can add all sorts of impressive things to your resume, but if its not easy to read, potential employers wont care. Think of it like a present: you want to give something really good, but to get it to that person, you need to package it properly. If you sent a parcel without an address, itd never reach its destination. Likewise, if you create a resume thats hard to read, messy and too long, people wont spend the time trying to decipher it. To make it even easier, you could add a personal statement to the top: just a few lines summarising who you are, what your key skills are, and possibly what youre looking for. For more tips on formatting your resume, read this guide. Learn a new language Now, this wont happen overnight! But if you can start learning a language, youll soon find yourself in high demand. With the rise of digital, businesses are becoming global very quickly. And if you can help a business attract a wider market, you become an invaluable asset. You might not be fluent, but the fact youre willing to learn and can converse in another persons native language is a huge bonus. Include numbers Remember one key point about your resume: show, dont tell. And when you show, giving numbers will make it even more powerful. So, instead of describing a situation, explain it with figures. Give the details how many people were you up against in a competition that you won? How many pitches have you worked on and how many have you been successful with? Anyone can say Ive done lots of bids, but if you can say youve worked on seven bids a month for the last four years it means a lot more to your audience. We are always eager to hear from our readers. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or suggestions regarding CareerAlley content. Good luck in your search,Joey Google+