How do YOU get your resume noticed?

Question

In particular, when I email a resume and cover letter, how can I motivate the hiring manager to open it? Is there something that I can put in the subject line that will make it stand out, but still be professional? Hiring Managers are receiving hundreds and hundreds of resumes and I need some ideas to make mine stand out. HELP!

Answer 1

Print it on pink, scented paper...oh, and send in a video of you walking around in your bathing suit...maybe send that through email

Answer 2

Besides setting all margins to 1", the most important criteria for setting up a professional resume besides relevant text, is "scanability." Here are some helpful tips:

1. Place just below your identification header [your hame, address, phone, email address] any Conditional Warning Statement such as "Confidential Resume,"Do Not Contact Current Employer," etc.
2. Always fill-in an Objectives category [just below the Conditional Warning Statement] and make sure that he Objective will contribute to the profitability of your future employer;
3. Select a mono-type font such as Helvetica, Arial, Courier or Times Roman; do not select any cursive handwriting styles which cannot scanned;
4. Keep font sizes within a range of 10 to 12 pts.;
5. Avoid styling text with a justified alignment, keep it flushed left;
6. Instead of using tabs to set up blocked text entries, generate a table and use the column and row settings accordingly;
7. Do not place an i.d. picture anywhere on the resume, this is a major taboo due to discrimination issues;
8. Do not place any graphic text [saved as .gifs] onto the resume since it may be overlooked during the scanning phase;
9. List at the very end of the resume your interests which should include travel experiences, language skills, social interactions such as golf, team sports, tennis, etc.

In conclusion, the above helpful hints were designed to allow ease of scanning of your resume into PDF which can then be text captured for seach purposes by your potential employer. If the original resume was created in Word, WordPerfect or Mac Appleworks, it can be Saved As a PDF file which then can be saved as an email attachment. Otherwise, you can simply use a scanner and scan a hard copy of the resume and then save as a PDF file.

Failure to conform the resume to appropriate fonts and styles as outlined above will result in rejection of the resume simply due to the inability of the scanning device to properly index relevant resume entries.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Hand the Resume to the employer personally. It is not what you put on the resume as much as getting it to the person in charge of hiring. Leave it with the secretary if you have to but try to hand it to him personally if you can. resumes should be simple with the most important details first. Also when you meet the employer tell them briefly something about the company that you like. Avoid frilly stuff on the resume. I would NOT put your picture as the employer can prejudge you based on a picture. Don't underestimate the power of a cover letter.

Answer 4

As much as you want your resume to "stand out," the easiest way to grab a recruiter's attention is simplicity. Don't bother with adding a bunch of "fluff" to your resume, just make it concise and informative. For a subject line, keep it simple: "Resume from Jerry Heinkel for Customer Service Position"

That's all you need to do. By being clear and concise, you're way ahead of the pack already. You WILL get noticed.

Answer 5

I email my resume for efficiency of course, but I also print out the resume and cover letter on some fancy paper, and put it into a matching envelope . I print the address and return address on the envelope with a printer as well, no hand writing except for my signature on the cover letter.

I'll also use one of the nice color laser printers at work for all this. Basically I just make it look like I put some real thought and effort into getting my resume prepared.

Answer 6

Job hunting is like fishing; you can't use the same bait to catch all fish.

Not all resumes are created equal. You need to customize a resume to the position you're looking for (I made this mistake a couple of years ago). In your objective, customize it to fit the job description (i.e. OBJECTIVE: to obtain a full-time position in customer service with [insert company name here]).

The second poster to your question has a really good suggestion, too.

Answer 7

Monster is a great site for resume and interveiw help... Here's the link for how to get your resume noticed, but take the time after to check out the other topics that will help you land the job you're after:

http://resume.monster.ca/9514_en-CA_p1.asp

Best of luck to you.... Go for it! You can get that job!

Answer 8

yeah a little pic of yourself is good- think of key words that they might be looking for and make sure they are included bc sometimes resumes are found through searching for just key words (like skills they want you to have or ethics). Also, if you can think of a not corny or cheesy kind of slogan for yourself that helps you stand out to the other peoples boring old blah that might help too! ex. "Look no further!" (or something like that bc that is a little cheesy :)

Answer 9

funny you ask, i have heard of people using neon coloured paper and even scented paper to make employers notice them but truth is, when employers see such a desperate attempt they dont read them, they just throw thenm in the bin!, if you need to make it stand out it is by your admittance that you are not as qualified as everyone else so you think you need something extra!!!

if you are most qualified you will get the job, if you are not, you wont!

there isnt anything you can do it increase your chances (other than lyng of course!! haah!) exept to make a good impression if you get a meeting with a potential employer!

Answer 10

Keep it as brief as possible ....they get junked if too long, pick out the key words in the want ad... incorporate them into your resume, these get chosen.
Always follow up with a phone call...Good Luck.

Answer 11

Put aq small professional looking picture on one the the corners. It will stand out from the other, and the employers will remember what you look like!