7 Expert Resume Writing Secrets To Make Sure That Your Resume Catches The Eye Of Prospective Recruiters

In today's highly competitive job market, to get the attention of employers and win an interview, you need to make sure that your resume is top-of-the-line. When writing your resume, you should have one goal in mind: to excite the interest of the person who is reading it by convincing them that you are the solution to their problem. Accomplish that and you will get the interview. There's no prize for coming in second here. You have a huge amount of competition and your resume is often your only chance to rise to the top of the pack. Unless you take the time to create a top-quality, compelling resume, don't expect your phone to begin ringing.

Here are seven tips to help you create this interview-winning document:

Tip number one - Be Clear About Your Target

If you don't know what you want and what your target is, neither will the reader of your resume. Do not try and be all things to all people, because prospective employers are looking for focus and ambition. Your resume should be written to show how you are the perfect person to do the type of job you are targeting. An unavoidable prerequisite for resume writing is to have an idea of where you're going in your career. You have to have an objective, otherwise you won't know how to focus your resume. With fuzzy career aspirations and no focus, you can't even begin to write a winning resume.

Tip number two - Know Who You Are Talking To

Once you have determined your goal, you have to be sure that you understand the requirements and expectations of the company and position. You have to understand what drives the person with the power to hire you. Why they are looking for a person to fill this position? How you can contribute to help solve their problems? Your answers to questions like these will help you shape your resume to showcase the factors that illustrate why you are the right person for them.

Tip number three - Know Your Competition

Who is your average competitor for the positions you are pursuing? While it is unlikely that you physically know somebody who is applying for the same position, you should try and develop a persona and image in your mind that defines the kind of person who would be perfect for this job environment. Do you have the proven experience to beat this person? What makes you different and sets you apart? While you will definitely want to include proof that you have the baseline qualifications being sought by the employer, most of your competition will have these as well. It is the differentiators that will win you the interview.

Tip number four - Address Your Challenges

It is time to clearly understand where you might fall down, or where issues or challenges exist that you need to address before you go forward. Be aware of any key qualifications that might be lacking, some educational requirements that you simply don't match, or perhaps something less-than perfect in your own background, such as a six-month gap in your work history five years ago. You have to define these as part of your plan for success.

Tip number five - Don't Write a Resume That Looks Like Every Other Resume

Now it's time to be creative and strategic. When writing your resume, remember that you are marketing yourself and not writing an autobiography. You must structure your resume to highlight key selling points and include or exclude certain pieces of information in a very focused and structured way. Your goal is to present yourself in the most flattering light in relation to the position you are targeting. That may mean coming up with a completely new format just for you. That's okay!

Tip number six - Be Different

We talked about differentiators in tip three. What is it exatly that makes you stand apart from the rest? What will compel a person who is reading your resume to pause for a second and realize that he or she needs to pay attention, because you might be exactly the person they are looking for? You need to concentrate on your differentiators and show how you have gone the extra mile to make a difference and add value to your employers in the past. In other words, using examples of real past achievements, you should write your resume to illustrate how you will provide a great return on investment and how you will do so in a way that is more profitable than your competition for the job.

Tip number seven - Be Creative With Your Design

Now it's time to finally write and design your resume bearing in mind all of the tips that we just discussed. Your resume design should be eye-catching, but it should also be strategic. Through design, you have the ability to draw the eye where you want it to go, to call attention to the facts you want to emphasize and deflect from those you don't. Begin writing your content first and let the content guide you in creating a unique format and design that accomplishes what you need it to accomplish. Follow these seven tips for resume writing and you can make sure that you are promoted as the ideal candidate for the job you want.