1. State your Objectives clearly:

Having a clear picture in your mind about your objectives is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself as a job seeker. Even if you are having a transition time, you need to be proactive. You may have been lay-off or terminated from your previous job due to downsizing, and it is essential that you keep in mind that you have not lost everything. On the contrary, it can be an opportunity that can open new doors, doors of which you might never be aware.

It is essential that you state your objective clearly while highlighting your skills and accomplishments in a way that can benefit any firm in your particular field. However, the most challenging part while highlighting your accomplishments and skills is to keep your resume concise and compelling. The purpose of the resume is to get you interviews for which you only get a few seconds to grab the attention of the hiring manager and rule out as many people as possible. Furthermore, in your resume, the information should be kept in a way that makes it easy for hiring managers to find precisely what they are looking for.

After your resume has gone through the unavoidable filtering essential to get to those that have successfully perked the interest of the hiring manager, you will then have an opportunity to elaborate on all the finer points in your interview.

2. Create Easy to Read Resumes:

The workers at the Human Resources Department prefer resumes that are short and to the point. For this reason, it is a better option to use bullet points so that the highlights which you want to draw attention to can be read easily. Also important is to have sufficient white space on the paper so that it draws the eye. It is much more likely that you will be called for an interview if your resume manages to keep the sentences short and use appropriate keywords. Furthermore, remember to put your strengths and the attributes that you will bring to the company in a ‘top-down’ order. You can also draw attention by using symbols instead of typing out words.

3. Use Keywords:

Most companies, nowadays, scan resumes into computers and will key them on certain words that are programmed to be recognized. When a job position is opened, hiring managers will key in the appropriate keywords in order to find resumes that most likely fit the job criteria. You can find these keywords in the job descriptions and the criteria that are posted. Make sure you include these keywords in your resume in bullet points. Including keywords increases your chances of getting an interview.

4. The Include Action Words:

The use of action words instantly gives a distinct impression of your achievements. Hence, remember to include words like accomplished, built, completed, examined, and so on. However, make sure that you are not over-using any of these particular words.