How to make your resume stand out from the rest

As the world moves towards digitalization and moving their businesses to adopt digital technologies, there is a growing demand for IT professionals globally, and Sri Lanka is no exception. Each day the demand for IT professionals grows, and school leavers are beginning to see IT as an industry with high demand. From software development to mobile development, from ERP systems to cloud-based software, opportunities are continuing to increase. We see more and more of our youth leaning towards seeking a career in the IT field, partly due to the demand for job seekers and the attractive salary packages.

There are many established software companies in Sri Lanka, and more new companies continue to pop up. While there are more and more job opportunities sprout up, so do programmers, developers, coders and engineers. We at Esshva see an influx of resumes pouring in for the job opportunities we post on job posting portals and our social media. Out of the many that come our way, very few can be considered as ideal resumes.

A resume provides an overview of one’s work experience, professional qualifications, skills, and education. This is the first point of contact between the job seeker and the potential employer. If one is able to make a strong first impression, one may be guaranteed the opportunity to get called in for an interview, where the job seeker can build up on the resume shared, and secure a spot for the position one applied to.

The purpose of the resume is to help you land a job interview. Each resume is different as they need to cater to a different industry, role, and responsibility. But one thing is common across all job openings; the resume should be strong and impressive. When applying for a job in the IT industry, we see that most job applicants overlook these simple tips below, which can help them turn their resume into a notable one.

LinkedIn profile — if you have a comprehensible LinkedIn profile, it would be advisable to link it to your resume. Resumes with a LinkedIn profile see higher interview rates. Ensure that your LinkedIn profile has a professional headshot and a banner, and, includes your work experience in detail.

Projects — emphasize the projects and products you have worked on while showing the technology spectrum used in said projects and products.

Keywords and skills — include the right keywords and skills relevant to the job you are applying to. Read through the job description of the vacancy you are applying to, and filter out the important keywords. Include those keywords in a meaningful manner within your work experiences. Include the hard skills and soft skills relevant to the targeted job roles.

Length — research indicates that the ideal length of a resume is 475–600 words. If your resume is too short, the employer might feel that you lack the necessary experience. On the other hand, if the word count for the resume is too long, the employer might simply move on without paying too much attention to the areas of your resume you wish to draw attention to.

Relevance — tailor your resume for each application. Each employer will expect different skills and experiences from their job applicant. You need to customize your CV to reflect the expectation of the employer to whom you are applying for.

CV template — there are certain sections employers expect to see in a resume. Skipping on them might be risky. Using a template is advisable as you can find a template specifically designed for the position you have in mind.

Details — we often overlook the small things. Grammar, spelling, and formatting may seem insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but if your resume has any of these small mistakes, the first impression created will not be favorable for you. Recheck and correct your resume before sending it out to potential employers.

In an industry where there is a high supply to high demand, the deciding factor between getting called in for an interview can be the difference between an impressive CV and a not-so-eye-catching one. Landing a job in the IT industry in Sri Lanka is easy if you have the relevant knowledge, skill, and work experience. But one should take care to tailor make their resumes to reflect their experience and showcase their skills and knowledge.