Resume Tips for Getting Noticed

The purpose of the job application process is to get noticed, right? It’s a race to see who can catch the employer’s attention and whose resume was impressive enough to get called in for an interview.

Your resume is an employer’s first impression of you, so here are some tips to help make your first impression a great one.

Be concise when listing your projects, and don’t waste valuable space with mundane information.

The general rule is to keep your resume short and sweet, typically no more than one page, so don’t waste valuable space listing off things that might be irrelevant to the position. The person reviewing your resume doesn’t want to read about your part-time job at the coffee shop, so showcase your talents with a concise description of projects that were part of a positive contribution or that demonstrate your ability to solve problems. However, if you currently don’t have any related experience, make sure to accentuate the tasks in your previous roles that you feel will help you excel in this new position.

Include a thorough list of the technologies you know.

If you aren’t able to discuss how to use a certain hardware or software, you shouldn’t be listing it on your resume. An employer expects you to be able to fully discuss the technologies you are comfortable with, so listing things without the confidence to back it up could make you appear unreliable.

Be specific with the types of coding languages, operating systems, and programming tools you’re familiar with. Often times, employers use automated systems to find resumes with these keywords and weed out unqualified applicants, so you don’t want to miss out on your opportunity for an interview.

Provide links to your portfolio of projects, or other work you’re willing to share.

Make it as easy as possible for an employer to see your skills. By providing them with links to your work, you’re giving them physical proof that you have the skills they are looking for. Be sure to have quality work on these projects, and try not to leave anything incomplete.

Pro Tip: Remember to always clean up your personal social media pages and LinkedIn profile so you know you’re making a great impression to those who might view it.

Don’t list claims that you’re not able to back up.

Just like you should avoid listing technologies you’re not well-versed on, don’t list any projects, work, or experience that you’re not willing to talk about in detail. If you boost your resume with grandiose claims just so you can get an interview, don’t be surprised if the interviewer asks you about this work and you end up coming up short.

Keep it simple.

Sometimes simpler is better, and in the case of resumes this is usually true. Use an easy to read font and try to avoid overly fancy formatting. When an employer or recruiter is hiring for a position, they don’t have a lot of time to search for information. Because of this, sticking to a clean resume format is usually best (of course, this also depends on what type of position you are applying for).

Use bulleted points to highlight your skills and experience, and avoid long blocks of text. Again, the person reviewing your resume might not necessarily have time to search for the important information that might be hiding in lengthy paragraphs.

Don’t be discouraged if you think your resume needs a little brushing up. At UT Austin Boot Camps, we have a dedicated career services team whose mission is to prepare you for the job search. Learn more about our student support here.