Millions of students graduate from universities each year. It is only right to assume that you will be all in the same pool of job haunting. Your resume serves as the first impression as this is the first document that the recruiter will look at before meeting you. With such a harsh and competitive atmosphere, how do you ensure that your resume lands on top of the piles of other resumes?

We will consider 10 key writing hacks which can put you on the first step of achieving your dream job.

Put Emphasis on Your Achievements

You know your strengths and weaknesses, your most accomplished achievements and failures. When it comes to resume writing, focus only on your most excellent successes since college. In any position held, outline the accomplishments that you achieved in those areas. When listing these achievements, make numbers your new best friend. Therefore, use them to quantify your success and track record.

Formatting is the First Impression

You may have significant accomplishments, but even so, if the format is not perfect, it may go unnoticed. Make it easy to skim for the recruiters who probably have thousands more to scan. As a college graduate, it is expected not to have had a long work history; this is where you focus on your skills. Such a resume is called a functional resume that focuses more on skill abilities rather than work experience. Make sure to outline all the skills that you can bring to the table.

Proofread as Much as Possible

Proofread some more

There can never be enough emphasis on proofreading. You should never miss an opportunity to attain your dream job by a simple spelling, grammar or spacing mistake. It is recommended that you task a friend, family, teacher or mentor with this work. Make sure they go through it thoroughly. A wise tip is, after typing your resume, give yourself sometime before reviewing it again. You will also have a new outlook. Never hit the send button immediately after typing.

Keep It Simple and Direct

Most recruiters are known to skim through your resume. For them to properly go through the resume, you need to make it simple. Stay clear of buzzwords as they are not impressive. In most part, some recruiters may have no idea of some of those terms. Therefore, keep it as simplistic as possible to receive that interview.

Personalize the Resume to a Specific Potential Employer

Sounds like a lot of work? You bet! But if that is the career path that you wish to follow, take the time to custom write it. For you to achieve this, do proper research on whom you are writing for. This will automatically make you stand out from the file.

Attach a Cover Letter

Include a cover letter

If you want to sell yourself as committed to a specific position, then there is no harm in writing a custom cover letter to a potential employer. It is all about going that extra mile. Once you have done proper research on the company, then it is easy for you to pitch in the cover letter.

Education Should Be At The Top

In the traditional sense, education usually appears at the bottom. But this rule is not relevant if you are a fresh college graduate. You should give education top billing, meaning that it should appear first. As you gradually gain work experience, you can move it at the bottom. Here you will list all your academic honours and extracurricular activities. If your GPA is above 3.0, make a point to include it, it will guarantee to attract attention. By any chance, if your major GPA is higher than the overall, then use it instead.

Make Your Menial Jobs Count

All the temporary and seasonal jobs that you did can be relevant in writing your resume. All you have to do is describe them in the right way. These experiences speak volumes to recruiters who will view you as independent and have a strong work ethic. If the experience that you have is in a different field, then do not go into specific details. Just outline the most critical aspects of the job. Make it more about the skills acquired, e.g., customer service, communications skills, time management, among other achievements. If you had extra responsibilities, mention them. This will make you appear responsible and trustworthy.

Promote Yourself Through Reviews

In this modern age, reviews are what make or break a company. Businesses rely on positive reviews to attract new clients. You can use this technique in promoting yourself as well. Use direct quotes that you have received from former employers, the dean’s office or that NGO that you volunteered at times. If you have the recommendations, attach them to your resume. This will even save up both of your time by not enquiring for referees.

Nothing Wrong With Outsourcing it to a Resume Writer

Professionals can write for you

If you have a problem with expression, don’t worry. You could instead hire a resume writer rather than writing a mediocre resume. Thanks to the hundreds of freelance platforms such as Upwork and Freelancer, it is now easy to have your resume written for you. The good thing about these sites is professionals from different fields run them. Once you create your profile, they will delegate the work to the appropriate writer who will help you out. Also, the cost usually varies depending on the field, but it ranges from $25. Once you’ve given out all the relevant information, the writer will take at most a week to complete it for you.

Conclusion

By following the guidelines outlined in this article, you should expect a phone call for an interview. Before stepping into an interview room, make sure that you know your resume inside out. Take time to learn it by heart. It can be unfortunate to receive the golden phone call only to forget what you had listed on the resume. Remember to always update it with the different types of experiences that you will achieve after that.

AUTHOR BIO

Sophia Clark graduated from the University of the City of New York with B.A. in Journalism, 2011. She is a creative writer from New York who loves to share her thoughts with readers, now she writes for Eliteessaywriters, In her free time she enjoys writing fiction as well as reading it. Her big dream is to