9 effective resume hacks for job hunters

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Your resume is your ticket to an interview. Good ones can have you juggling multiple offers to come in for interviews, while bad ones can leave you twiddling your thumbs for eternity. Let’s take a look at some hacks to enhance your resume.

9 Use a resume format that sets yours apart from others

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A resume is a sheet of paper with information about someone that everyone on the planet except for the person that wrote it couldn’t care less about. It is the most boring collection of information on the planet. At least make it look interesting with a resume format that stands out from the rest. Type “resume templates” into Google Images to get started.

8 Don’t tell them what they can give you


Most resumes fail because the writer was too concerned about their needs. They’ll say what they’ve done and what they want, but not what the employer is looking for. But make no mistake. The company doesn’t care about you. Right now, you are a boring piece of paper to them. They do, however, care about their own needs. So instead, tell them how you can solve their problems or help them capitalize on opportunities using your past experience.

7 Don’t be afraid to write an unorthodox resume summary

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Though this does depend on the type of job you’re applying for, it would be to most job hunters’ advantage to write a summary or objective that sets you apart. Formulaic objectives will bore a Human Resources professional to death; instead, give them something original that highlights your achievements and makes them want you.

6 Include a link

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In most industries it’s looked down upon if you aren’t part of LinkedIn. Make your profile, connect with other professionals and make sure to include your LinkedIn URL on your resume.

5 Don’t tell them what your job responsibilities were

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Job responsibilities describe something you were supposed to do. When you were a kid, you were responsible for making your bed and sometimes you did a pretty crappy job. But you still did it. Employers want to know what you achievements are that were caused by excelling at your responsibilities. Prove your value by providing specific examples and details of the positive impact you’ve have on past employers.

4 Feedback, feedback, feedback

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Show it to friends and family. Even if 99% of their feedback is something you don’t believe applies to you, that 1% can make all the difference.

3 Use Recruiters

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Don’t just put it on Monster and Career Builder; send your resume to recruiters and employment agencies; they can be the key to your next job offer. Send your resume and a note to a headhunter (they can be found on LinkedIn, or via employment agency websites or databases online) and tell them the type of job you’re looking for. Sometimes they’ll ask what your hourly/salary requirements are and sometimes they’ll ask you to fill out some fairly innocuous paperwork to keep your information on file. Don’t just depend on one or two headhunters and don’t depend on them to continually reach out to you with opportunities; you will need to contact many and reach out to them on a regular basis.

2 Rewrite it for every single job you apply to

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Take your already written resume and make small adjustments, gearing it toward the job you are applying for and the company you are applying with. Bringing more relevant information to the forefront or changing wording to reflect the job description you read online can make all the difference.

1 Edit, edit, edit

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Aside from correct spelling and grammar, editing your own work again and again is paramount to forging your once hard, dull block of professional information ore into a swift, gleaming blade that will slice and dice your way to victory.