In a competitive job market, where a single job ad may attract over 300 candidates, it’s never been more important to make your job application stand out from the crowd. A well-constructed, well-thought out, professional resume can make all the difference between being shortlisted or placed directly into the ‘no’ pile. So just how can you make your job application ‘unmissable?’
Job hunting can bring a mix of candidates: those who truly need a job and those applying on impulse or out of desperation. These casual, ‘impulse’ job applications are akin to picking up an unnecessary treat at the checkout—interest may fade fast. This surge in non-serious applications can often overwhelm hiring teams, leading to recruitment fatigue, and therefore making it harder to prioritise and spot the genuine candidates.
Needless to say, a very common question often asked by job seekers is: “How do I ensure that my job application is seen?”
To stand out, your job application needs to be relevant to what you apply for, so there are questions you should ask yourself before you apply to ensure that you are taken seriously:
- Am I a suitable candidate for this role? Just because you love to go on holidays, doesn’t mean you’ll be the most suitable candidate for a Travel Marketing position.
- Does the role and company align with your personal career goals? Knowing what you want to achieve will give you more credibility with an interviewer.
- Is this role the right level of seniority for me? You need to consider the experience you have and whether the seniority of the position is a match.
- The number of applications is already so high, should I even bother applying? If the answer to the previous three questions is yes, then apply. Often, 95% of applicants are not suitable because they don’t ask themselves these questions.
Is my resume in good shape?
The key to a standout resume is to keep it simple. You’ve got less than 10 seconds to grab the attention of who is reviewing your resume, so make it count! Here’s what to include:
- A brief introduction of yourself and where you are wanting your career to go and what makes you, YOU.
- A career summary is helpful as it provides the hiring manager a quick snapshot of how relevant your background is to the role. Keep it high level: include the company name, your title and your tenure.
- Next, detail your career history. The most recent 5 – 7 years will be of most interest, so put more detail into these roles.
- Ensure you clearly define your responsibilities and separate out your achievements.
- Use bullet points rather than blocks of text. Relevant information can be found faster in this format.
- Your achievements should include measurable results, and not just serve as an extension of your responsibilities. Use numbers and data to quantify results further and highlight key successes.
- Include relevant keywords in your resume. Larger companies will often use software to scan resumes for keywords, so research relevant language to have your resume picked up by software.
- The more senior you are in your career, the harder it is to keep it to two pages, which is virtually impossible, and not best practice. Don’t be too concerned if your resume ends up being four or five pages long, so long as the key points are highlighted up front.
Speed to market is key
The first week of an ad being posted is often the best time to apply, as it’s when the job ad will most likely be reviewed by the Talent / Hiring Manager. They will often be hiring for several roles concurrently and will have a high volume of applicants to sift through, so speed to market is important and will increase your chances of your resume being reviewed.
Good grammar is important
A rather obvious (but often overlooked) factor that can make or break a resume is good grammar and punctuation. Think about it, if you say on your resume that you have good attention to detail, but there are spelling mistakes, it’s not the best look. In a competitive job market, a polished resume can set you apart from other candidates. Small errors could be the difference between being shortlisted or overlooked.
Need help crafting your job application?
At [axr], we see things a little differently. Our mission is to prepare people to have better career conversations, to make great career decisions, to enable individuals and organisations to get the best return out of their relationship. If you would like assistance crafting your job application or simply want to have a career conversation to discuss your next step, get in touch with the team today!
About Ben Carnegie
Ben is an experienced recruiter, with 17 years’ services marketing recruitment experience and 9 years event management experience. His focus is on developing long-term relationships with clients to source the best match for their needs, whilst providing market insights for long-term planning; whilst at the same time, supporting candidates on their career journey and helping them present the best version of themselves.
