Writing a compelling resume in order to get noticed by companies – i.e. what companies look for in a resume and what to avoid
In our previous article we spoke about the Dos and Don’ts During Active Job Hunting Amid The Pandemic Era, and continuously updating your resume featured as an important do when it came to increasing your chances of captivating the hiring manager’s eyes.
That being said, only 10% of people who apply for a job get an interview invite. That’s a scary statistic and with stiff competition in the Malaysian job market, standing out with a compelling resume is key.
We share our five tips for writing a compelling resume below.
- Create individualised resumes
One of the leading mistakes people make when creating a resume is creating a generic, ‘one size fits all’ copy to apply for every job spec. While some parts of your resume will of course be standard, tailoring your resume to fit the specific job application and requirements is key to increasing your chances of getting noticed. Look at the job spec, and then rewrite your resume to highlight relevant points that complement the job requirements, giving you a higher chance of standing out and matching the necessary criteria. You want your resume to be as targeted and focused as possible.
- Keep it short and sweet
When it comes to the hiring process in Malaysia, most employees are strapped for time and chances are, they’re skimming through your resume to get to the important bits. In fact, on average, they’re spending a mere 7 seconds reviewing your resume and so making an impression quickly is vital. Industry standards and employer preferences based on Resume Statistics 2020 suggest creating a two-page resume focussing on highlighting personal information (see point 4), work experience, education, skills and a summary/biography. If you have more information you’d like to showcase, have a more detailed online professional profile and include the link on your resume.
- Mention achievements and accomplishments
To get ahead of your competition and fellow applicants, it’s important to ‘put your best foot forward’, Ashira Prossack. Make sure that you’re highlighting your biggest and most relevant features, accomplishments and achievements first. Your employer wants to ensure they’re making a good investment in you and so they’re looking for specific must haves and attributes you can bring to the table and check off their list.
- Include only the necessary personal information
Space is precious when it comes to your resume and so taking up space on unnecessary personal information is a waste of time. Employers no longer need to know or no longer should base their hiring processes on information such as your age, nationality, marital status or religion, and so exclude these from your resume. The only personal information needed is your name, address and necessary contact details.
- Review, review, review
When you think you’re done writing your compelling resume, you’re not. You need to review, review and review it again. Proofreading your resume for any mistakes is one of the most important things you can do, yet one of the most overlooked. Typos lead the list of pet peeves (Kim Isaacs), and just one mistake can be detrimental to your chances of being considered. Take time to go through your resume and focus on your spelling, grammar, sentence structure and even overall format and layout. If need be, get a professional copywriter to proofread and edit for you. The investment will be worth it.
Remember, your resume is an employer’s first point of contact with you. It’s your first opportunity to sell yourself and show how you are the perfect fit for a position. Investing in creating the right resume will take you a long way.
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