Creating a Standout Resume

Resumes play a pivotal role in creating a good first impression of a candidate among several applications being reviewed by employers. Often students don’t invest the time into crafting a customized resume for each position. To create a standout resume it is important to showcase your personality, qualifications, skills, and experiences in a way that highlights your match to a specific role.  Crafting a resume does requires sufficient time and a good understanding of your qualifications and accomplishments communicated in a way that leaves the employer wanting to learn more about you. 

So, how do you create a standout resume? One should keep in mind that a single, generic resume can’t be used for all kinds of job applications. It needs to be tailored based on the job requirements and skills and should only highlight those experiences and skill sets that aligns with it. Keeping your content relevant to the reader helps you convince potential employers that you are a good fit for the position.

Some important tips for crafting a resume are : 

• Keeping your resume to two-pages

• Using CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) statements to highlight experiences and accomplishments

• Choosing a format that works for you (Education, Work experience, Volunteer experience, Achievements, and so on)

• Using keywords relevant to the job industry

• Avoiding grammatical and spelling errors

• Using a readable font style and point size, and consistent spacing

• Listing experiences in reverse chronological order

• Dates and months aligned on the right-hand side of the page

Once you’ve had a chance to create your resume, take the opportunity to get it reviewed.  Having a second pair of eyes on your document can be very helpful to catch general errors or suggestions on how to improve your resume. 

CareerZone at Brock offers resume and cover letter review services, one-on-one student appointments with a Talent Development Specialist, online workshops, as well as various cover letter and resume resources that help students craft the perfect resume. 

So, start crafting your resume now and take that first step towards your successful career journey. We are here to help you in every step of the way!
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We are here to support you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We offer many student resources on our portal (careerzone.brocku.ca) and can be contacted via email at career@brocku.ca to answer any inquiries you may have.

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Written by : Mansi Vansia, Career Assistant 
Edited by Kara Renaud, Supervisor of Career Education, CCEE Department