Standing Out in Job Applications: How To Write a Resume That Employers Will Love

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit us hard.

I used to frequent this really yummy western food stall that served some of the best handmade burgers.

But when I went back to the stall after we reopened from the circuit breaker, it was no longer operating.

It’s such a shame, isn’t it? Seeing your favourite food places just suddenly disappear just like that.

Food places aren’t the only ones getting hit by COVID-19.

Everyone, including you and me, are affected by the adverse effects brought about by COVID-19. Many employees are losing their jobs.

Also, there are many fresh graduates who are joining the workforce.

With all that competition in the job market, how will you stand out among everyone looking at the same position as you?

That’s where we come in.

We’ll share some tips to spruce up your resume so you can secure your job to start saving your first S$1 million!

TL;DR: How To Write a Resume

Writing a resume is no longer enough amidst all the competition you will be facing in the job market.

You need to ensure your resume stands out among everyone else to increase your chances of getting hired and all it takes is just a few quick and easy steps!

Incorporating Visual Elements: Captivating Your Future Employer

Doesn’t feel good to be looking at something nice?

Just imagine the beautiful scenery of the beach or a field of vibrant and colourful flowers, etc. etc.

Who doesn’t like that?

Your potential employer has to screen through stacks and stacks of resumes from applicants just like you daily. Eventually, they’ll get overwhelmed by all the information and text.

Therefore, incorporating a more visually appealing design into your resume will help your resume stand out among other applicants.

As an added bonus, you can even show your individuality by designing your resume to fit your personality!

Find Free Resume Templates on Canva

Not a graphic designer? That’s perfectly fine!

Luckily for us, growing up in the digital era gives us a lot more options. There are free platforms out there such as Canva which provides you with more than 1000 different templates for you to choose from.

However, you must take note that some of the templates require you to pay for them but don’t worry, the free templates are just as good!

Although, one thing you must keep in mind when designing a visually appealing resume is that it’s easy to get distracted by all the visual elements.

Always remember that the main objective of your resume is to show the value you bring to the company, which brings us to our next point!

Shorten Your Resume: A Little Goes a Long Way

I cannot stress this point enough. Just remember that this is a resume, not your autobiography so leave out the unnecessary information! 

One thing you must know as a job applicant is that your employer spends on average six to seven seconds looking through a resume.

The recommended length of a resume is one to two pages, do note that putting in too much information is pointless as the recruiter might not even read all of it.

Hence, it’s important to include information employers look at, here are a few examples:

• Relevant Work Experience
• Professional Skills
• Results and Achievements

These are just a few of the things you need to include in your resume.

We have a more detailed guide on writing the perfect resume which tells you the information that should be included as well as how to format your resume.

Tailoring Your Resume for the Job: There’s No Such Thing as “One Size Fits All”

Different jobs have different requirements, why does your resume have to remain the same for all of them?

When applying for a job, you need to be mindful of what your potential employers are looking for as that will be the key to helping your resume stand out.

Let’s say you’re applying for a job in the creative industry, it would be a good idea to include designs in your resume to impress your employer.

Or for example, you are going for a job in accounting, placing emphasis on your job experiences or skills on your ability to handle numbers would be a way to grab the attention of potential employers.

Along with more companies adopting AI resume screening, including the relevant keywords for the job helps increase the chances of your resume will stand out.

With that in mind, be sure to tailor your resume to highlight important details that employers are looking for!

Updating Regularly: Your Resume Is Just Like Your Smart Phone

Remember that shirt you wore as a child? Does it still fit? Probably not.

It’s the same for your resumes, as time goes by, the details inside will change.

Let’s say you picked up new skills or perhaps you decided to look for a new job in a different sector, there’s no way your old resume will make the cut.

Furthermore, if you wait until you look for your next job to update your resume, you might forget details about your past experiences.

Don’t let your resume collect dust in your hard drive, do keep it updated as often as you can!

Tips and Tricks for Writing the Perfect Resume

Ready to impress your employer with that sparkling new resume of yours?

Our guide will help you make your resume stand out among all the other job applicants competing for the same job as you!

Do you need some additional help with writing your resume before sprucing it up?

If you have any questions or need advice for your career, feel free to start a discussion on our career group on Seedly! Our friendly community members will be happy to share their advice and/or experience to help you out.

Your dream job isn’t gonna wait for you, go draft the perfect resume now!