3 Techniques to Give your Resume a Competitive Advantage

While it’s critical to use social media (LinkedIn for most) to connect with your network and tap into opportunities,

Here’s are 3 things you can do to give your resume a competitive edge.

#1 Articulate Your Value on your Resume From the Top – Concisely

Human Resource directors and other hiring officials often have a lot on their plates, which makes for skim rather than in-depth reads…especially during the first few rounds. Your summary or branding statement at the top must quickly inform the reader:

1. The types of roles you are targeting
2. How you are a perfect fit

It should also include just enough detail so that your statement stands out from the crowd – especially the hundreds of others describing themselves using the same adjective-rich language.

Here’s a before and after sample from a specialty pharma sales rep. See for yourself the potential contained within a brief, powerful summary.

BEFORE

AFTER

#2 Your Resumes: Brochure v. Blueprint

People in a rush (and let’s be honest, people are always in a hurry when it comes to resume reading) have difficulty skimming and absorbing dense blocks of text. This is the case whether your resume contains five one-line bullets bunched together or a five-line paragraph.

When someone is in a rush, and something is hard to read, there’s a good chance it will be skipped over. You can avert this by keeping bullets or paragraph short and sweet (2-3 lines max) and inserting additional white space in between each bullet/paragraph.

Here’s another before and after from a capital equipment sales executive resume that illustrates my point.  

BEFORE

AFTER

As you can see, the “AFTER” is easier to read, especially on mobile.

#3 Images Speak Louder than Words (even on your resume!)

While graphics and pictures can’t be read by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems, they absolutely can be read by human beings. In my opinion, they are often more effective!

While you’ll always come across some folks that are more old school and who love your standard black and white resume, the majority of readers in my experience welcome points illustrated graphically.

Here’s what I mean:

To ensure your language can be read by ATS software as well as human beings, make sure that what you insert in the graph, chart or image is also contained in text within your document.

Professionals looking to take advantage of this exciting but competitive job market will benefit from a resume that tells their story in a succinct, compelling and engaging manner.

This can be accomplished by embracing graphics (and color!) and articulating value starting at the top!

Previously published on MedReps.com

In need of some career advice, guidance about how to write an executive resume or a rebranded LinkedIn?

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