Franck Ferragut, recruitment director at HR Services, a division of GardaWorld, share some tips and tricks to stand out when applying for a job.

If you’re job hunting or thinking of a career shift, your first move is to update your resume. On average, a recruiter will spend 30 seconds reading your resume, so it's critical to showcase your skills using the right keywords that will make your application stand out and prompt the recruiter to give you a call.

It’s no small feat to describe your skills in a few lines, yet it's the first thing the recruiter will check out. Word your resume carefully based on the targeted position. The rule of thumb is to adapt your resume to the job you’re applying for (no “one size fits all” resume).

 

1. Choose a catchy title

A catchy title gives the recruiter a glimpse of your level of proficiency for the job: job title, level of experience and/or industry sector. Below are sample wordings:

• Bilingual administrative assistant, 5 years of experience

• Accounting technician, 4 years of experience with an accounting firm

• Bilingual sales representative, agri-food industry

2. Describe your level of proficiency

After the title, give the recruiter an idea of your level of proficiency. Be precise and concise in describing your skill set with respect to the job. Experience is key but not a decisive factor because attitude can also be a game-changer:

• Know-how: key skills, description of tasks, software used, industry-specific expertise, etc.

• People skills: team player, autonomous, etc.

• Knowledge: diplomas and certificates, fluency in other languages.

3. Showcase your professional experience

Work down from the most to the least recent experience. Showcase does not mean embellish. Describe your value-added competence, the experiences that honed your skills.  State what’s important and don’t exceed 5 points. This sample structure is easy to read:

• Position held, company (industry sector): period of employment (month/years)

• Brief description of daily tasks

• Results of the employment: achievements or statistical data to illustrate your career path (number of people supervised, number of processed files, number of calls taken, etc.)

4. List your diplomas and certificates

Your studies are also important and some recruiters may take a closer look at them when a position requires specific academic training, so don’t neglect this section:

• Name of diploma, specialization.

• Name of institution and date of studies. Be sure to specify if the diploma or certificate has been obtained or not.

5. Tell the recruiter about yourself by describing your leisure activities, volunteer work, etc.

Knowing that you enjoy sports or what you’re passionate about will give the recruiter insight into your personality. Don’t overdo it and limit yourself to two items that you can further discuss during the interview by phone or in person.

6. Present a neat resume

Make sure your resume is easy to read by separating subjects by paragraph and by presenting a consistent wording and layout. Last but not least, keep it neat to better emphasize critical information that will drive the recruiter to call you on the spot!

7. Are you done drafting your resume? Proofread it!

Make sure it’s error-free and the layout consistent.

Enlist the help of your contacts, friends and family. Ask people or HR specialists to read your resume and make sure they catch your keywords within the first 15 seconds.

Best of luck in tackling your new professional challenges!

Interested to start a new career at GardaWorld? Look for job opportunities in our Careers page.