4 Things Employers Want to See on your Resume
Simply Hired Staff
When it comes to searching for a new job, career or freelancer position, it can often be a dog eat dog world. Ask a recruiter who has the bargaining power in today’s market and their opinion will vary from week to week if not day to day. This one will say qualified employees are in high demand. That one will tell you that potential employers hold all the chips in the salary bargaining game.
Like death and taxes, however, one thing is certain; employers will always seek the highest quality candidates in order to give the best chances at filling their open positions quickly and efficiently. With this in mind, there are a few common qualities that employers look for in resumes that can help clue them in that they’ve found the candidate of their dreams. Here we delve into the four biggest traits your prospective employer wants to see in your resume or CV and how you can edit, tweak and revise your current document to call-back success.
Show Results
As the old saying goes, it’s one thing to talk the talk but another entirely to walk the walk. Listing off a host of qualifications on your resume is fine and dandy, but to make a big impact candidates should provide details to demonstrate just how those abilities helped benefit their previous employers.
What to Do: Make it a point to spell out your major accomplishments in your previous positions. Projects successfully rolled out, policies changed, sales made or procedures implemented should be sprinkled in with your traits, qualifications, and skills in order to show your potential employer just how that fancy degree equals real-world results.
Be Relevant
This is a double whammy when it comes to appearing as attractive as possible to your new potential employer. Regardless of how long you’ve been on the job market, your resume should demonstrate that your skills and experience are relevant to current industry trends and that you’re aware of the current state of your job field of choice.
What to Do: Include plenty of clues in your resume that you’re aware of current trends, problems, and developments in your given industry. In some fields, this can be accomplished with up to date certifications by industry mandatory and optional licensing agencies. Also, consider including links or references to recent articles as well as mention of confidence and proficiency in modern programming and systems.
Be a Smarty
An intelligence that’s applicable to your given desired position and job field is one of the key characteristics employers look for when reviewing candidate resumes. Whether general or specialized skills or intelligence, the smarter the candidate the more likely they will stick around and grow into long-term business contributors and leaders.
What to Do: While most may think demonstrating intelligence equals a hefty education section, don’t be afraid if ivy league creds aren’t on the menu of your resume. Advanced certifications, concise wording and referencing relevant topics, phrases and problems can help demonstrate your proficiency in a given field. The trick is to show a commitment to education and to staying at the top of your industry knowledge game.
Show Some Consistency
Another multi-tiered trait, consistency is one of the key indicators employers use when determining which candidates will provide the best return on their workforce investment. A consistent resume is one that both through form and content showcases a commitment to a single career goal. This commitment, in turn, builds confidence in your prospective employer that you’re a long-term candidate interested in engaging and helping to build the reach and business of your new employer.
What to Do: Your resume should demonstrate a clear progression in work history, leading up to your current desired position. Unless you’ve made major pit stops along the way, lay out your resume in a manner that highlights your commitment to a given job field via a clear progression of roles. Consistency in form is also important when pitching a resume to a potential employer. Be sure your CV is free of major grammatical errors and that tense is constant throughout. Retain common formatting, fonts, and structure throughout the document to come off as professional and consistent as possible
Have a suggestion we missed when it comes to traits employers need to see on the resumes of potential hires? Drop us a line in the comments section below and maybe your tip will make our next revision or advice topic.
Article Updated from the Original on October 2, 2017
