3 Small Resume Changes that Will Attract the Attention of Recruiters and Hiring Managers

A good resume can separate you from the crowd and land you a job interview. Choosing a clean and professional design (like these examples) and the best resume structure for your experience and career path are key to stand out and attract recruiters and hiring managers.

But once you got their attention, you need to be certain you have included information effectively to impress and show them you are the right fit for the position, otherwise, all the time you spent formatting and researching will be in vain. Remember, recruiters typically spend less than 10 seconds in the first screening, so you need to be very concise and strategic.

In addition to landing you a job interview, a beautifully written and laid out resume can go even further. Showing the hiring manager that you are experienced and that you have a lot to contribute to the growth of a company starts with your resume and it can help even to get you a higher salary.

In order to achieve that, there are some small but very effective tweaks that can help get the attention of recruiters and hiring managers:

1. Use Strong, Compelling Action Words

Avoid using passive verbs or overused action verbs such as “responsible for”, “led” or “managed”. Recruiters are tired of seeing these words on resumes and they won’t contribute to create the impact you need.

Do some research and be creative when writing or updating your resume. Choose action verbs that will impress recruiters but be careful not to just overstuff it with keywords. 

 
2. Add Numbers

Adding numbers to your resume’s work experience section is a great way to showcase the impact you’ve made in your position.

Find out for instance how much you have saved your previous employers, how many new clients you added to the company’s portfolio, how many employees you supervised and so on, and add those numbers to your work experience section.

If you don’t have the exact numbers, that’s ok. You can always use a range or just say “over” a certain amount, so the recruiter has an idea of your contribution.

 
3. Don’t Just List Tasks, Show What Impact your Tasks Have in the Company

The most important change you can make is to remember to focus on the impact you had on the company. When writing your resume, be careful not to make it simply a list of tasks you performed.

You need to show how those tasks contributed to the company’s growth. What impact those tasks have created. That will show the recruiter how much value you can add to your prospective employer.

Always remember to review your resume before submitting. Ask a friend or a mentor to take a look and give you some feedback, or, if you want to review it yourself, wait until the next day to read it with fresh eyes. It always helps!