Grab the interviewer’s attention in 5 seconds!
Why?
Let’s understand.
How much time do you think the interviewer spends on your resume? 10 minutes? Naah, that’s too much time. 5 minutes? Not at all. Just 10 seconds or maybe even less.
So in such a short span, it becomes important for you to grab the interviewer’s attention.
How? By creating an out-of-the-box resume!
An out-of-the-box resume is a creative and unique way of highlighting your skills and experience. It appeals to the recruiter and hiring managers who are looking for new talent.
It is difficult to create a resume that stands out amongst the others. When you create an out-of-the-box resume, you will be able to set yourself apart from the competition. It will help you land your dream job by giving you an edge over other candidates.
What does an ideal resume look like?
Careers change and change with the demands of our society and the market. Resumes need to be dynamic and flexible enough to tell your story in a way that suits the requirements of today’s employers.
The basic resume format is two pages of text, with a page for each section: education, work experience, skills, and volunteer experience (optional). A more out-of-the-box resume can be three or four pages long. Employers like seeing how someone’s skills match what they are looking for in their team members.
So here are a few tips that’d make your resume stand out and probably get you hired!
Tips to create an out of the box resume:
1. Showcase your unique qualities in an impactful way:
Resumes are the first impression. We all know you can’t make a good first impression if what you’re wearing is the same as everyone else. The same goes for resumes. You need to show off your skills and qualifications in a way that will catch the employer’s attention.
An out-of-the-box resume does just that – it stands out from the crowd, drawing the eye of potential employers and highlighting your skills and qualifications in an engaging, creative way.
While most people think of an out-of-the-box resume with flashy graphics and design, it can be anything from a video clip to a sound collage or even an infographic poster with key information about your skills and qualifications.
But what you need to make sure of is also the content apart from the presentation. You must include all the skills you possess genuinely and not just fake it up. If you have leadership skills or are good at communication, or have some computing skills, include them all. Don’t just write them up, but also explain how you’ve made use of those skills in the past. For example, describe a leadership position you held in your previous company. Showcase how you got a unique chance to communicate with a huge client that others did not have.
All we want to say is speak about the skills that may make you look unique.
2. Include Statistics in your Resume:
We all have a resume that we probably have used for many years. But have you ever thought about doing something different with your resume to stand out from the crowd?
So the second tip to create an out-of-the-box resume is to showcase more statistics from your work.
This means that your potential employer will be able to see your progression and how much you’ve grown over the years. Your previous work experience will be shown in a better way, and you’ll stand out from other candidates applying for the same position as you.
Now the question is, what kind of statistics do you need to include and where?
Let’s say in the ‘Work Experience’ section you have mentioned that you applied some strategies that increased sales for your clients. Now, this is a vague statement. Because it does not give a clear idea of what you have exactly done. Instead what you can write is – You worked with the Marketing agency and applied an advertising strategy that brought about a 20% increase in sales. Now this gives a clear idea of your achievements and makes your resume more reliable and outstanding.
3. Less is more!:
Many people tend to fill up 3-4 pages in a resume even if they have just started on their career. This probably gives an immature impact on your profile. And as we already discussed, the interviewer might take less than 10 seconds to scan your resume. In that case, you need to include only relevant and important information that catches the interviewer’s eyes.
If you have 4-5+ years of experience, then you might write a 3-4 pages resume explaining your industry experience and skills gained over the years.
Make sure you follow the rule of less is more.
4. Attach or Mention your Certification:
Certificates and degrees are one of the ways to get noticed by employers. It is important to mention certifications and diplomas that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.
As long as you have something that is related to the job you’re applying for, it will likely be noticed. Try to mention certifications that are really hard to gain, if you have done one.
5. Make sure to think from the hiring manager’s perspective:
Yes, this is the most important tip. Once you have created your resume, check through the following points:
- Have you mentioned all the necessary skills that the hiring manager is looking for?
- Does your resume highlight your uniqueness in terms of work experience and skillset?
- Do you possess the necessary soft skills that is required by the company?
- Have you briefed about your previous role?
Once you have a positive answer to all such questions, go ahead and submit your resume!
Above were some tips that will make you stand out in your interview. But there are certain skills that will also make you stand out, and it is important to mention them and POSSESS them.
Here is a list of skills that the interviewer might want you to showcase in your resume:
1. Critical thinking: Critical thinking is the ability to think of all possible solutions to a given problem and choose the best one. For example, if you are good at thinking critically, you can use it to make decisions quickly. You can also think beyond the obvious and come up with new ideas. Critical thinking is an excellent skill for every candidate.
2. Foreign language proficiency: Learning a second language is a wonderful way to explore different cultures and engage with new people. Language proficiency proves that one has an understanding of different cultures and their speech patterns. It also gives an insight into why certain words are used in certain languages and how they are used differently than in other languages.
3. Problem-solving: Problem-solving is important because it shows that you know how to find solutions, whether it be for yourself or for others.
Problem-solving is the act of finding a solution to a problem, either by using logic or creativity.
- It is also the process of identifying which issues need to be solved, and then determining how to solve them.
- Problem-solving skills are often used in fields such as computer programming, engineering, mathematics, engineering, physics, and engineering.
- To be good at it you need to have strong analytical skills and the ability to think creatively about possible solutions for problems.
- Jobs that involve problem-solving include: engineer, scientist, mathematician, and programmer among others
- Some of the best problem-solving skills you can put on your resume: critical thinking (the ability to analyze problems), creative thinking (the ability to use imagination
This is the most important skill to learn because this is what will make you stand out the MOST.
4. Communication: Communication skills allow you to convey your thoughts effectively with people who speak different languages or people with different backgrounds than yours.
5. Time-Management: Time management is a crucial skill for anyone who wants to get hired. It allows the person to apply the knowledge they have in a way that is most efficient.
The importance of time management goes far beyond just getting hired, though. We are all busy people, but if we don’t know how to manage our time then we will never be able to achieve our goals or have any sort of direction in life.
Time management skills are arguably the most important skill set for someone who wants to stay organized and productive on their work tasks.
6. Team Work: Teamwork can be defined as group work that involves individuals coming together to accomplish a common objective. This helps improve the quality of the project and makes the team more effective.
7. Leadership skills: The ability to communicate with people of different cultures is key for leadership. Whether it is working with employees, customers, or partners, leaders must be able to articulate their vision and goals clearly and concisely.
Leaders must be able to motivate team members. They should also know how to delegate tasks so that team members can perform at their best. This skill is not the most important but an additional skill to make you stand out.
Skills are of two types: hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills are technical abilities like time management, teamwork, leadership skills, etc. Soft skills can be defined as your personality traits like understanding, patience, etc. For a successful career, one has to possess both types of skills. It is also essential to know how they can complement each other.
Before sharing your resume with the interviewer, have a check on these points:
- Identify your core skills: Dig deep into your inner self to discover your critical skills. And how these abilities will set you apart from the crowd of hopefuls. SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis is a simple technique to identify the same.
- Examine the following talents in your field: Important for those looking for a career shift. Examine the in-demand skills and set a goal to learn the most in-demand talents during the year.
- Answer the following questions about the job description: This is very important when applying for a job. Understand the organization’s requirements and lay out the talents you possess that are more relevant to the organization’s needs.
A resume is an important document that reflects your skills, achievements, and professional experience. It can be a powerful tool to help you get an interview.
An out-of-the-box resume is a great way to show recruiters that you are creative and innovative. You can use unconventional storytelling methods or try new design elements to make your resume stand out from the crowd.
This may seem like a lot of work, but it will pay off in the end. A well-made resume will catch recruiters’ attention and improve the chances of getting an interview call or even landing a job!
