As a former recruiter with 15 years of experience in technology, advertising, marketing, and business, I have spent countless hours reviewing résumés and LinkedIn profiles. Here are my tips for making yours stand out.
Résumés:
1. Keep your formatting simple and clean. Avoid using too many fonts, font sizes, colors, illustrations, or logos. This makes your information easier to read and digest for recruiters who are going through hundreds of résumés a day.
2. Don't try to cram everything onto one page. Two pages are perfectly acceptable, especially if you're at a more senior level. Don't sacrifice important information just to fit it all onto one page, but also avoid going over two pages.
3. Use bullet points instead of paragraphs. This allows you to clearly and quickly convey your message. Bullet points force you to summarize the most critical information and help you focus on the story you want to tell. You can include additional details on your LinkedIn profile.
4. Use the "accomplished X as measured by Y, by doing Z" formula to describe your experience. It can be challenging to summarize years of experience into two pages with bullet points. The XYZ formula helps you highlight your accomplishments by showcasing the steps that led to them. For example: "Selected as one of the 40 under 40 Latinos in NYC by providing free training sessions to recruiters and hiring managers, enabling them to develop their diversity recruitment strategies."
1. Use strong verbs that accurately describe your role in a project. Avoid using weak verbs like "assisted" or "helped" which may suggest that you didn't contribute much.
2. Don't worry about applicant tracking systems discarding your resume. Instead, focus on including relevant keywords that will help recruiters better understand your skills and experience.
3. Avoid using jargon in your resume, as it may not be understood by all readers. Instead, focus on using clear language and keywords that are relevant to the job.
4. Use your LinkedIn profile to provide more details about your experience and expertise, including documents, media, and projects you've worked on.
5. Update your "about me" section to provide a clear summary of your skills, experience, and goals. Don't forget to include your contact information.
6. Use your LinkedIn banner to showcase your personality and achievements, using free resources like Canva to create an eye-catching design.
Here are some tips to enhance your LinkedIn profile:
1. Use your headline effectively to include industry-specific keywords that can help recruiters and hiring managers understand your role easily.
2. Add your accomplishments to the 'featured' section, such as popular posts or presentations you've created.
3. Don't overlook the importance of recommendations. Asking for endorsements from people who know your work style and experience can add value to your profile.
4. If you're a freelancer, use the recommendation section as a way to highlight your skills and experience to potential clients.
5. Don't forget to showcase your services by selecting the appropriate options under "offering services" in the "open to" section of your profile.