Are you looking for a job? You probably know that you need to submit a resume to every job you apply for. Apart from this, many companies are actively asking for a cover letter too, so that you can expand more on your goals, dreams, and experience.
However, the resume is the paper you need to submit to every job application. But nowadays the competition for jobs is fierce. There are some domains that many candidates want a job in. For example, the IT domain is so popular nowadays. And when there are so many candidates, it’s clear that recruiters are seeing hundreds, if not thousands of resumes per day.
Finding the right candidate might take some time, so they want to make it as fast as possible. Recruiters are spending just a few seconds skimming a resume, so you need to stand out from the crowd. And the first thing you can do is craft a compelling resume.
But what words to include? What experience and skills to list? Where to start? If you need help to build a resume, then you are in the right place. Here we will expand more on the importance of having a well-crafted resume and how word choice affects your resume.
Why Is It Important to Choose the Right Words?
Well, many would wonder why is it so important to choose the right words? At least, it’s a resume and you will send it to many companies. It is exactly for this reason that you should invest both time and effort into crafting a nice resume. And into choosing the right words that represent your personality.
Many people choose fluffy words or cliches to send a specific message through their resumes. But keep in mind that recruiters are seeing hundreds of resumes per day. You need something to stand out from the crowd and catch the attention of the recruiter. Because after seeing dozens of resumes, they might all start sounding the same. Especially when the experience of candidates is similar.
All of them say they have “excellent communication skills” or “good leadership skills”. But this is something anyone can write in their resume. And, actually, many candidates use the same words. It is therefore important to choose carefully the words you use in your resume. You can catch the attention of the recruiter if you use the right words, so investing time in this might land you the perfect job. But how do you send the right idea with the right words?
Using Numbers
One of the first pieces of advice comes from an experienced resume writer. And recruiters agree with it too. Many people, for example, want to share their previous working experience and the skills they gained during their work time.
Every job teaches you something and it hones your skills. And some of these skills are crucial for the job you apply for, so you want to list them in your resume. You might be tempted to say that you are an excellent social media manager, for example.
But this is something anyone can write in their resumes. So, to catch the attention of the recruiter, you could use numbers. You could say that you helped a specific brand (maybe your previous employer) increase the engagement on their social media accounts by 200%. Maybe you helped them grow their revenues and you can prove it by adding some numbers.
Active Voice
Another thing you should avoid using in your resume is passive voice. Active voice shows that you are the actor in the main things described there. In a passive voice, you are kind of distancing yourself from the actions you have discussed. So, it is essential to use verbs that send the idea that you were involved in the job you have done.
Be Specific
Being specific in your resume allows you to describe the exact things you have done. Many candidates use too many buzzwords that sound nice but that do not actually send the right idea. Describing your qualifications in a general note will not make the recruiter spend more time on your resume. Because it will sound similar to dozens of other ones.
So, instead of giving general details about your previous experience, qualifications, or skills, be specific. For example, instead of listing that you are a hard-working person, maybe you could give details on what hard work you have done. And, of course, you should choose the right verb that goes with the action you have done. For example, you could say that you have improved a system that tracks the notifications of an app.
This is just an example, but keep in mind to choose the right verb and be specific about your previous duties and experience. Like this, you can catch the attention of the recruiter so that they will spend more time skimming your resume. And by doing this, they might end up considering you as an excellent candidate for the position you have applied for.
Easy to Read
One of the mistakes many people make when crafting their resumes is that they include any information about their experience. However, not all jobs you have might be relevant to the position you apply for. For example, if you apply for a social media manager job, the fact that you were a babysitter during college is not relevant at all.
Selecting only the most relevant information will help you build a skimmable resume. It is crucial to make it easy to read and find the relevant information in it. Because recruiters are skimming a lot of resumes per day. And when they want to assess if a candidate is fit for this position, they look for specific skills or experience in their resume. If you have the right experience, make sure you make it easy to find. Your entire resume should be easy to read.
Editing and Reediting
When crafting your resume, it is essential to keep in mind that your first draft will not be the final one. Many candidates build their resumes just before applying to jobs. But to have a really nice resume that catches the attention of the recruiters and presents the relevant information, you need to work on it more than once. So, save the time you need for editing and reediting your resume.
This is essential because if you let it sit for a few days, you will come back to it with a fresher perspective. You might spot some odd things. Or just replace some words with more suited ones. Or replace passive voice with active voice. The idea is that you may miss some details when you first start working on your resume. So, give yourself the time you need to build a powerful resume.
Final Thoughts
Word choice in a resume is very important. The majority of candidates are using the same words all over again. Everyone can say in their resume that they are hard-working or have good communication skills. But not anyone proves they have those skills.
So, avoid using cliches and buzzwords, use active voice instead of passive voice, be specific and add numbers. Make your resume easy to read and save time for editing and reediting it. In the end, you will have a powerful resume that catches the attention of recruiters.
