How to Use Your Resume to Catch an Employer's Attention

An employer has one position open and a stack of a hundred resumes of job seeking hopefuls. Employers do not have time to sit down and interview every candidate. They will be eliminating many potential employees by just scanning the resume. Your goal is to catch the employer's eye and have your resume moved from the "no way" pile into the "interview" stack.

Use good quality bright white paper and black ink for your resume.

You can use regular paper from the copier, but it is much better to use a slightly heavier paper that has a smooth finish. The paper will actually attract the employer who is scanning the resumes because it is different from the normal run of the mill copied resumes in the stack. Be sure you use black ink and that your resume is free from creases and smudges. Never turn in a resume that has a coffee or water stain on it.

The employer will not be taking time for a close read when he is first going through the pile of resumes. He is glancing at them then tossing them into two stacks, ones to look at closer and ones to put back in the file.

Proofread your resume

Now that your resume is actually in the hand of the employer, be sure it is free from spelling errors. Nothing will get your resume tossed into the "No Way" pile faster than glaring typos and poor grammar.

Make your resume easy to scan

Use headings so the employer can look at what is most important, in their mind, to the position that needs to be filled. Education and work history are good headings. Also include a bulleted section for specialized skills you have as well as an area for references. It is okay to say "Available on Request" but it is better to list three friends and co-workers who know you well. Be sure to include their contact information.

Resume Work History Tips

On the work history section, do not leave any wide gaps. Try to fill in gaps with anything you did during the time your do not have work history. If you were at home raising children be sure to state that. If you did any volunteering or civic activities, these can help to fill in large gaps in your work history. One thing that is a turn off for potential employers is if you changed jobs several times in a short period. If you worked five jobs in less than a year, to a potential employer this says you are unstable and do not know what you want to do. The employer is going to toss your resume back in the "No Way" file. In his mind, he would train you only to have you leave. Instead, consider grouping several short-term jobs. If the jobs were McDonald's, Burger King and the like, make a single entry stating you worked in the food service industry for a year.

Resume Education and Military tips:

If you have degrees, be sure to state where you went to school and what degrees you hold. If not, consider listing any specialty classes you may have taken that will catch the employer's eye. If you are applying for a newspaper, be sure to toot your horn about the fact you have taken college level English and possibly a photography course. You can also state you were the editor for your high school news paper. If it is pertinent, put it in your resume. If it is not pertinent to the job you are applying for, leave it out.

Final thoughts for getting your resume read:

Keep it short. Employers do not have time to sit down and read about your entire life. A one page professional resume will get a closer look than several pages of work and education history.

Use bullets and highlighting judiciously. Bullets make points and draw attention to brief facts. They are excellent to use in a resume. Bolding is another way to highlight important items. They Bullets and highlighting will catch the employer's eye and, if he is interested in the information, he will read the rest of point.

Be sure your current contact information is up to date and easy to find. Nothing will be more frustrating than finally locating your phone number on the resume just to find out the number has been disconnected. That will move you back into the "No way" pile.