5 Ways To Give Your Resume the Wow Factor

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In this tight job market, making your resume stand out is crucial. We all know that our resumes are our chief marketing tool, but still, there are many people who send out resumes that don't have what it takes to impress employers in the digital age. Years ago, a well-written, neatly typed resume could be photocopied and mailed out to companies with great success. The document was the same for each potential employer and it served as a written work history. Those days are gone.

In today's digital job market, a resume has to be internet-friendly. We have to understand and accept the fact that the document we email to employers will be subject to Google web searches and even scanned by an applicant tracking system. Although the change has made work easier for human resource departments, it makes things more difficult for a job seeker.

If you are struggling to find a job, here are 5 ways that you can add some "wow" to your digital resume:

Research companies and keywords: When starting your job search, look at job boards and print out all of the job listings for companies you are interested in. Compare the ads and look for the most frequently used keywords. These words will be related to the most desirable skills and experience for the position. Once you've identified the important keywords, make sure that your resume contains those same words. Since most companies use some sort of applicant tracking system that scans resumes for specific keywords, the more hits your resume has, the better.

Always customize your resume for the job: The days of cookie-cutter resumes are long over, which is why it's important to edit your resume to match the keywords for each job. Every time you send out a resume, you should customize it to target the specific company. It's a little more effort, but if the prize is a job that will pay you a good salary, it's worth the extra 30 minutes. After all, this is the first deliverable to your new company - make it count.

Address your cover letter to someone: If you aren't sure who is in charge of hiring or don't know the name of the person, do some research and find out. These days, almost everyone has an online presence. With a quick web search or by using a professional networking site like LinkedIn, you should be able to discover the name of the person in charge of hiring. If your internet sleuthing doesn't give you a name, you could try cold calling the company and asking. Addressing a cover letter to "Dear Hiring Manager" should be avoided at all costs.

Use your network to get a personal referral: Having someone you know recommend you for the position is the best way to make sure that your resume is actually read by a real person. Once you submit your resume, make a list of people you know. If you don't personally know someone who works for the company, ask the people on your list if they know anyone. If, after checking with everyone, you still don't have a contact on the inside, use networking sites to find someone. Start a conversation and ask for help. You'll be surprised at how many people, even the ones you only know through distant friends, would be more than happy to help.

Follow up with the hiring manager: After sending in your resume and cover letter, it's a good idea to call the hiring manager personally to confirm that they have received your application. This doesn't mean that you should call and say, "Did you get my resume?" Instead, use the call as an opportunity to give your pitch and stand out. For example, you could call and say, "Hi, this is Ms. Smith. I've been working in sales for 10 years and I have a proven track record of success. I'm very interested in working with your company. I just sent you a copy of my resume. I wanted to take a moment to touch base with you and make sure that you've received it." This gives you a moment to state your name and say why you are someone they don't want to miss out on. It shows that you are determined and sincere about your interest in the position and illustrates how you get things done.

Giving your resume the "wow" factor involves doing more work at first, but it can make you stand out and help you land the job you really want. Do you customize your resume for each job? How do you make your resume memorable? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

 

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  • Lillian R
    Lillian R •
    It was interesting to read that I am following the 5 steps outlined in your summary.  However,  I have 25 years of experience and while I only display 10 years of that experience it seems that there is alot of detail in my resume. My experience is in the healthcare industry.  There are two issues that always surface, either I'm over qualified (translation: they don't want to pay the recommended salary) or they require a BA.  Please advise.
  • Elizabeth R
    Elizabeth R •
    This is a great help in helping me to find a job.  Thanks
  • Kevin H
    Kevin H •
    Like most articles of this type: Some good information, some not so good.
  • phyllis P
    phyllis P •
    This helped very much when retyping my resume and cover sheet.  Thank You!!!
  • Keneesha H
    Keneesha H •
    This is quite helpful. Especially to the old school job seekers. People definitely need to know how to keep up with the changing times
  • Tim C
    Tim C •
    Melissa Kennedy's Suggestions make my current resume look like its read from a stone slab. It's been ten years since I have submitted a resume but with these five tips my next submission will possess the illusive "wow" factor.
  • Antonina B
    Antonina B •
    I really agree to this very highly informative article! This gives me the right direction on how to write an impressive resume. Thanks for posting!
  • Joanna P
    Joanna P •
    This is very useful information...greatly appreciated
  • Elizabeth Relerford
    Elizabeth Relerford •
    This is a great help in helping me to find a job.  Thanks
  • Vicki Davis
    Vicki Davis •
    I think it should go into detail about what fonts are accepptable and what area's they should be in a resume, there whouls be some sample resumes. it seems the internet sites have the same articles over and over. there should be some ground rules for resume's and if there is please put them out so everyone can see them.
  • Carnon S
    Carnon S •
    good article. informative
  • Carnon S
    Carnon S •
    great input. thanks
  • Joshua W
    Joshua W •
    I like this its a show of determination
  • Richard e
    Richard e •
    one can see why that job market is short on skilled labor when a interoffice mail clerk requires 5year exp. and  a BSA and it only part time too so you cannot say that it is lack of skill labor when there job like this out there to be found no wonder no skilled labor out there to be found
  • Shawn B
    Shawn B •
    That was very helpful
  • lydia g
    lydia g •
    can you help and how
  • carol r
    carol r •
    Because I had been out of the job market for 9 years I was not in step with the current "best practices" for applying for a position on line. The advice given, in regard to how to go about  getting your applications seen by perspective employer was very helpful to me. I must thank those individuals who contributed to the body of knowledge in this article. It is useful to anyone currently in the job market. It is so competitive , even with a Masters Degree, I felt unprepared for the challenge I face competing for employment.
  • Virginia W
    Virginia W •
    Very good article.  There are some key points that I will incorporate into my job search.
  • Mary C
    Mary C •
    I thought this was good information however, I am looking for a transition job as my past work experience is broad and trying to reword it to fit the available jobs is daunting. Also, it is very difficult to find the hiring managers in this digital age or a person with whom you can network. The last point is trying to follow-up on resumes. I have run in to too many don't call us. How do you get around these issues?
  • Gail M
    Gail M •
    I agree that customizing your resume is the way to go and for that reason I have started to not post my resume on sites like this.  Each resume should be personalize to the position the job seeker is applying for.  Thanks for this confirming article.
  • Sherry B
    Sherry B •
    Though I'm not currently looking for a job, this appears to be some good recommendations.
  • Julius Hollis Jr.
    Julius Hollis Jr. •
    Outstanding comments that are concise and yes it makes perfect sense to sell your "persona" to a employers these days. Since the job market has change from "Mom & Pop" shops to skills and qualifications its good to re-enter some type of training school not necessarily college.  College works for 5 skills; Law enforcement, Teachers, Nursing, Technology, Business Administration degrees BA,MA,Doctorate are more geared for colleges. Great article!
  • Jonathan D
    Jonathan D •
    i think this is of great help, i should do this, thanks for posting
  • Karol G
    Karol G •
    The problem with the intneert is that it creates a false sense of security:  I won't feel the rejection and I am anonymous.  Whether you apply online and don't get hired or network and make contact with real human beings and don't get hired, isn't the result the same!?!Ask yourself this, what is worth more:  100 new relationships or your resume in 100 databases?  If you manage those 100 new relationships correctly and professionally, you won't have enough hours in day to reach everyone in your new network because it grows exponentially with or without your direct effort.For me,  when I wimp out on doing what I know that I should do, it haunts me and negatively eats at my psyche.  HOWEVER, when I do something out of my comfort zone, I feel better and more confident about myself because I am maintaining control of my destiny!
  • Melissa Kennedy
    Melissa Kennedy •
    @Jay, If your contact is the President of the company and  they are in your network, then by all means, use that contact. Also, if they are the person who is making the hiring decision, then you should address everything to them. However, if you don't know them and they aren't the hiring manager, it's more effective to dig a little deeper to find the relevant person. I hope that helps!

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