Looking for a job? Follow these 5 strategies to make your resume stand out

By Michelle Fox -

If you're hoping to land a new job, it's vital to make sure your resume catches the attention of recruiters.

The first thing to do is

, advises Matt Glodz, a

personal

and founder of

Chicago-based

executive resume writing company

.

"Stop thinking about yourself so much and think more about what your reader is looking for and expects to see," he explains.

Adaptability and flexibility are the top skills employers have seen as most important since the pandemic broke out.sturti |

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The COVID-19 pandemic has changed things that some employers consider important, such as vaccination status.

At the time of vaccination mandates, the number of job offers that require candidates to be immunized against the coronavirus has doubled since the end of September, according to the Ladders job site.

Whether or not to include vaccination status on the resume is a personal decision, argues Amanda Augustine, a career counseling expert at New York-based resume writing service TopResume.

"If it seems good to you to put the information and that is your status, it is better that you do it, because

" he says.

["We live from check to check."

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In fact,

according to a survey by ResumeBuilder.com.

In August, the site surveyed 1,250 hiring managers across the United States.

With all of this in mind, here are 5 strategies to make your resume stand out.

1. Demonstrate flexibility

Adaptability and flexibility are the top skills employers consider most important since the pandemic broke out, according to a TopResume survey of 334 hiring professionals in October 2020.

Critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and teamwork are also important to employers today.

While it may seem challenging to convey these skills on your resume without just listing them, think about your most recent job that you have done that can demonstrate that you have those skills, Augustine suggests.

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"Talk about how you achieved results, got something done on time, contributed to your organization, and the steps you took to get it done," he advises.

If you've worked remotely during the pandemic, be sure to include it as well

, simply by putting it in parentheses next to your title in the experience section.

"You never know when you can go back into some kind of quarantine," Augustine recalls.

2. Present a compelling narrative

Your resume should tell a clear story of why your experience and skills qualify you for the position you're applying for, says Augustine.

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For this reason, TopResume recommends

.

Instead, the top third should give employers a quick look at why it makes sense for them to talk to you.

It should include your contact information, your professional title, a summary of your career path, and your areas of expertise.

Find out a little more about their experience below.

3. Show your impact on the work environment

Recruiters want to see the impact you have had on the company you work for or on your previous job.

If the section your expertise occupies is highly task-based, focusing on your day-to-day responsibilities, it will be more like a job description rather than painting a bigger picture for recruiters, Glodz notes.

"Take those tasks and turn them into achievements," he recommends.

Show, for example,

.

4. Format matters

The average hiring professional spends 7.4 seconds scanning a resume before deciding whether to get to know the candidate more closely, according to a 2018 study by Ladders.

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"When you have so little time to grab their attention and focus on your application, you're going to want to make sure it's easy for them to scan and understand your career narrative," Augustine reiterates.

Don't turn your experience into an endless list of bullet points or dense paragraphs

.

Instead, create a short paragraph under your job title that describes the role and responsibilities.

Next, use your bullets, or what Augustine calls bragging points, to demonstrate your accomplishments.

Stay away from custom or overly intricate font styles.

Use a classic resume template, organized with conventional headlines, Glodz says.

Carefully proofread line by line, not just for grammar and writing, but make sure the spacing and typeface are consistent.

[If you are considering changing jobs during the pandemic, take these considerations into account]

"

" he underlines.

5. Don't forget the cover letter

When TopResume asked hiring managers if they are more likely to read cover letters now than before the pandemic, 48% answered yes.

"It won't hurt your application if you include it, but you could be hurting your chances of being called if you don't," says Augustine.

Don't do it in a generic way.

Instead,

including what you've learned about the company and what they're looking for in a candidate for the position you're applying for.

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