What makes a good resume that stands out?
What really makes a resume stand out?
When job seekers think about making their resume stand out, they often focus on how it looks. Should it have colour? Would a modern template make a difference? Should they include a professional photo?
While there is nothing wrong with having a clean and professional-looking resume, these things are not what makes a resume stand out to an employer.
A resume stands out for all the right reasons when an employer looks at it and thinks, “Wow, this person has the experience and qualifications we’re looking for. I think I’ll interview them.”
That is the kind of response you want your resume to create.
It’s about what you bring to the role
Your resume needs to make it clear why you are a good fit for the job. An employer should be able to look at your experience and qualifications and see a clear connection between what you have done and what they need someone to do.
Every job is different, even when the job title is the same. One employer may be looking for someone with strong leadership experience, while another may need someone with specific technical skills or industry knowledge. This is why it is important to focus your resume on the experience and qualifications that are most relevant to the particular position.
You do not want an employer having to search through your resume to work out whether you have what they are looking for.
Experience and achievements matter
Simply listing your previous roles and responsibilities is not always enough. Employers want to understand what you actually brought to those positions and what you achieved.
For example, saying you were “responsible for managing a team” tells an employer what you did, but it does not tell them much about how effective you were at it. Providing some detail about the size of the team, the results you achieved or improvements you made gives the employer a much better understanding of your experience.
The same applies to other areas of your career. If you increased sales, improved a process, reduced costs, delivered a major project, developed new relationships or improved customer outcomes, tell the employer. These details can help your resume move from simply describing your employment history to demonstrating the value you could bring to their organisation.
Your resume should make the employer want to meet you
Think about what happens when an employer receives a pile of resumes. They are not looking for the most colourful document or the person with the best photograph. They are looking for someone who appears capable of doing the job.
Your resume needs to help them make that decision.
This is where tailoring your resume can make such a difference. Rather than sending exactly the same resume for every position, look at what the employer is asking for and make sure your most relevant experience, qualifications, skills and achievements are easy to find.
The goal is not to make your resume look different from everyone else's. The goal is to make the employer stop and think, “This person has what we need.”
That is what makes a resume stand out.
A professional layout, clear formatting and easy-to-read content are important, but they should support the information rather than distract from it. Ultimately, the strongest resume is the one that gives an employer a genuine reason to want to speak with you. And tailoring your resume is that much more important too.
Your resume doesn't need to stand out because it looks different. It needs to stand out because you look like the right person for the job.
