Three simple tips to make your resume stand out

They say finding the right candidate to fill a job is like trying to find the needle in the haystack. So, when you’re applying for senior-level jobs, you need to make sure your resume stands out from the rest because you, inevitably, want to be that needle in the haystack that lands the job.

How do you go about on making your resume more memorable? I’ve gone through thousands of impressive resumes of Architecture & Interior Design professionals with fantastic careers. What I found stands out to employers is when candidates clearly show their potential contribution to the hiring company by painting a picture of the value they brought to their previous employers. So don’t just highlight your day to day responsibilities (and sound like a generic job description). Go beyond by showcasing your accomplishments.

It’s time to practice those bragging rights and highlight all those accolades! To catch potential employers’ attention, you need to showcase what kind of impact you had on the firm and what major accomplishments you achieved during your time at the firm.

But how do you exactly do that? Here are three effective tips for revamping your resume with your accomplishments on your resume.

Start by knowing the difference.

Go through your current resume and pick out the job responsibilities. For each job rewrite at least 1-2 points into resume achievements. For example, if you were responsible for a specific project, talk about the outcome of your actions. Was the project completed on time and on budget? Did you solve any problems or issues? Were you able to help the client achieve their goal?  Don’t just talk about your day to day routine of running this project, make the impact of those day to day tasks clear to potential employers.

Ask Questions and Make a List

Need some help with compiling the list of your resume achievements? Here’s some questions to answer when reviewing each of your job roles and responsibilities with resume accomplishments:

  • When were the occasions when I went above and beyond my outlined job duties?
  • How did I stand out from my team of employees?
  • When did my supervisor give me special recognition for my work? Why was it acknowledged?
  • Did I win any awards or get special recognition?
  • Did I solve any problems? What were the solutions I provided?
  • Did I meet or go above and beyond the expected goals?

At a senior level it is also important to mention company wide initiatives or accomplishments:

  • Did you go beyond managing your own projects?
  • Did you initiate any changes or improvements at the firm? Helped improve standards or processes? Suggested a new way of doing things?
  • Did you help acquire new clients?
  • DId you get involved with training or hiring?
  • Did you speak at any conferences on behalf of the firm?

Any contribution you have made at that senior level shows your potential contribution and impact to the hiring firm.

Tailor your resume to the specific job

Help potential employers connect the dots between your experience and their needs for the job. Don’t just rely on a “one size fits all” resume. It’s essential to tailor your resume to fit the specific role. To figure this out, look at the top main responsibilities of the job and think about how your past experience would help you perform those tasks. Choose to highlight those accomplishments that relate most to the job you’re applying for.

Keep in mind, these are small changes that make a big difference to the person reviewing resume after resume. If you have any questions about revamping your resume with your accomplishments, email myself (vered@iklein.com) or one of our recruiters (greatjobs@iklein.com).