39 Best Resume Tips to Catch Recruiters Attention and Land an Interview | 2024

Are you struggling to write a good resume? Are you seeking more resume advice? You’re in the right place. This article consists of a bunch of resume tips so that you can create a good resume that stands out using the listed resume pointers. If you don't know what a resume is, you can read our previous article to know!

There are some challenges job applicants tend to experience when building a resume. To write a resume that stands out, many people usually consider what’s the best resume advice for people in their position. They are not wrong, the best resumes that get you hired depend on your career position. 

Resume tips can differ according to the following situations you are currently under: 

• Changing jobs but lacking the relevant experience in the field.
• Your educational qualifications do not fit the job description.
• You have a big gap between jobs.
• You are a job hopper.
• You have a lot of experience, but you don’t know how to make it short.
• You are overqualified for the job.

Common difficulties job applicants experience include the following situations: 

• Job changing but lacking the relevant experience in the field.
• Your educational qualifications do not fit the job description.
• You have a big gap between jobs.
• You are a job hopper.
• You have a lot of experience, but you don’t know how to make it short.
• You are overqualified for the job.

Keep on reading and follow these tips for a great resume, and you will surely be on your way to land your dream job!

1. Prioritize listing only relevant jobs.

Whether you are an entry-level worker or an experienced industry expert, a piece of pragmatic resume advice is to list relevant experience or skills on resumes. This resume advice can help you keep the focus of your resume. 

2. Be brief and concise.

A practical approach to improve your resume is to be brief and concise on your resume. Recruiters typically go through a resume in seconds, so keeping it clean can help your resume stand out. 

3. Limit the resume length to one page.

Similar to the resume advice above, limiting your resume writing to one page can effectively reduce recruiters’ time spent on the resume. 

4. Use reverse-chronological format.

Reverse-chronological format is the standard format for writing any resumes. With this resume format, you list your experience in reverse chronological order. Begin with your latest job position and proceed backwards. 

5. Include quantified results.

Being able to quantify your experience is a way to prove your work track record. This is one of the top resume making tips. Focus on numbers, time, and percentages.  

6. Use resume action verbs.

Using action verbs on resume can help create immediate information impact on the recruiters’. Popular action verbs for resumes include “accelerated”, “outperformed”, “analyzed”, and “negotiated”. 

7. Use relevant keywords. 

What are keywords? Keywords are words that tie into a job description or posting. The use of keywords in resumes can boost your chance of not getting eliminated from ATS (aka, your resume now is ATS-friendly).

8. Set your font size to 10-12 points. 

Use an appropriate font size on your resume, so it’s more pleasant to read. This resume advice may seem very basic, but it is highly underrated. 

9. Use an attractive font.

Using an attractive font is another resume tip that concerns aesthetics. Popular resume fonts include Times New Roman, Cambria, Georgia, Garamond, and Didot. 

10. Focus on your skills.

If you have more than five years of work experience, listing imperative skills is good resume advice to follow.

1. Keep your resume layout simple.

Try to keep your resume layout as simple as possible. A complicated layout will cause difficulties for the recruiters to focus on important information. You can refer to our 10+ resume format and resume templates to choose the most suitable one.

2. Adjust page margins.

Resume margins can be reduced if more space is needed, but the standard margin figure is one inch on all sides. 

3. Use adequate spacing.

Similar to the resume formatting tip above, large spacing reduces the space to contain relevant information. Commonly used spacing on resumes is within a single-spaced or up to 1.5-point spacing.

4. Experiment with different font styles and font sizes.

Although there are traditional standards in resume fonts, it is possible to experiment with different font styles. For example, use Avenir Next or Muna. 

5. Don’t use the word “I”.

Using any pronouns can make the resume format redundant. Instead, use passive voice in your sentences.

6. Use past tense.

Using past tense is a relevant resume formatting tip that job applicants often ignore. Use past tense to describe your past positions and use present tense for your current job position. 

7. Use consistent punctuation.

If you decide to use periods at the end of a sentence, stick with the same punctuation throughout your resume to keep the consistency. 

8. Include multiple titles.

If you have multiple titles and responsibilities, make sure to include them in your job title. This resume formatting tip allows you to stay focused on each job title, and it’s easier for the recruiters to grasp an idea of who you are. 

9. Avoid acronyms.

If you want to use an acronym, make sure to spell it out first. 

10. Don’t reveal personal information.

Do not reveal personal information such as your marital status, birth date, religion, and sexual orientation for safety concerns and also to prevent discrimination.

11. Use resume builders for better formatting

Writing a resume is hard; statistic has shown that having a professionally written resume can increase one's earning potential by 7%. However, not everyone can afford this service, so a good alternative is to use a reliable resume builder. 

As an example, Cake offers a user-friendly resume-building tool that is completely free. All you need to do is drag and drop the resume elements into the live editor and your resume will be ready in no time. The tool ensures proper alignment so you don't have to worry about the layout or design. Additionally, there are many templates available to choose from, making it easy to find the perfect one for your needs.

1. List recent and most relevant experiences.

A tip for a good resume is to use the reverse-chronological resume format and list the most relevant work experience to catch the recruiters’ attention. 

2. Use keywords that highlight your skills

Using relevant keywords can help you catch the recruiters' attention. For instance, if you are searching for customer service roles, make sure to include resume keywords such as customer orientation, empathy, and negotiation. Check out this article for a comprehensive guide on how to write a customer service resume.

3. Create a resume outline.

Before starting building your resume, a resume building tip is to outline. The reason is that outlining can help you construct the resume more clearly and effectively. 

4. List all the details and information that will be written in your resume.

After outlining your resume, you can list all the details and information that will be written in your resume. Soon you will realize that you’re more than halfway through with resume building. 

5. Avoid listing short term jobs.

Only keep the short-term job if it’s relevant to the field you’re interested in applying for. Otherwise, leave off the short term jobs.
But if you're a frequent job hopper, or a fresh graduate, we recommend you consider the functional resume format to best highlight your skills.

1. Stick to a color scheme.

You can use colors to emphasize your characters and personalities. Create a color palette and stick to them so your resume remains looking neat and pleasing to the eyes.

2. Use calm, darker colors for formal jobs.

Job applicants who want to enter the field of finance, technology, and science can consider using calm and darker colors.

3. Experience with bright colors for creative jobs.

Job applicants who want to enter the field of marketing, design, or architecture can consider using bright and warm colors on their resumes. 

4. Try using ready-to-use ATS-friendly resume templates.

If you want to save time learning about resume formatting tips, a practical resume design tip is to use resume templates. 

5. Use creative figures.

Using creative figures on your resume is one of the modern resume design tips. Inserting figures can show your creativity, and it’s easier to convey concepts. 

6. Keep your resume mobile-friendly.

With the advancement of technology, many recruiters are reading resumes on their mobiles. Make sure your resume has mobile-friendly functions such as hyperlinks and friendly typography. 

7. Tell a story.

Another creative resume design tip is to insert your story. Storytelling is a compelling technique to help your resume stand out. You can do so by modifying your resume objectives or summary. 

Resume Writing Tips for High School Students

1. Include achievements.

Achievements from high school include grades, awards, honors, and leadership roles. 

2. Include community service or volunteers.

As a high school graduate, you may have participated in local community service and volunteer activities. These are activities to show your values and strengths. 

3. Include references.

As you do not have extensive work experience, including important references such as your teachers or mentors can help make a resume that gets you hired. 

👉 Learn how to write resume for high school graduate here.

Resume Writing Tips for Freshers

1. Show your willingness to learn.

What employers like in young freshers is their willingness to learn. A good resume writing tip for this is by demonstrating online certificates you have obtained. 

2. Proofread your resume.

Proofreading your resume before submitting allows you to correct grammatical and spelling mistakes. Proofreading will leave the recruiters a good impression. 

3. Highlight educational achievements.

Since you may not have enough work experience, you can highlight academic achievements to improve your resume. For example, you can showcase your grades, student awards, or club activities.

👉 Learn how to write simple resume for fresher here.

Resume Writing Tips for Experienced Professionals

1. Quantify your experience.

Use numbers, duration, and percentage to quantify your experience. Quantified experience is direct proof of your work experience and expertise. 

2. Select relevant achievements. 

Since you will have plenty of things to write about on the resume, it’s always useful to emphasize relevant work achievements to help your resume stand out. 

3. Highlight relevant skills.

Include only relevant skills on your resume to help you catch the recruiter’s eyes. For example, if you’re applying for the position as a marketing manager, highlight “data analysis”, SEO blogging”, and “keywords research”.

Resume Writing Tips for Nurse

1. Highlight your computer skills.

The healthcare industry involves a lot of administration tasks, and it’s going digital. Therefore, highlighting computer skills, such as Excel, can help you get noticed. 

2. Include education and training.

Being a nurse requires years of training and experience, and education is particularly essential to put on your resume. Your hiring manager needs to know whether you are a professionally trained nurse. 

3. Add volunteer experience.

Volunteering is popular among those who work in the healthcare industry. Volunteering emphasizes your motivation to join the healthcare industry. As a nurse, you can highlight different demographic groups you have worked with in the past.

👉 Learn how to write resume for nurse practitioner here.

Resume Writing Tips for Engineers

1. List key accomplishments.

Engineer accomplishments include previous projects, technical skills, and profits you brought to the company. Engineering is a specific and technical field, and therefore a practical engineering resume tip is to elaborate on these specificities. 

2. Add a project section.

As an engineer, you engage with various projects. These projects can be listed under the project section in the resume. Adding the project section allows the recruiters to see your experience even more clearly. 

3. Network.

Networking may sound tedious, but it is a useful engineering resume tip to keep in mind. When you meet another engineer through a project, he or she may be able to introduce you to more opportunities. 

👉 Learn how to write resume for software engineer here. We also cover how to write resume other engineering jobs, don't forget to check out on our blog!

Resume Writing Tips for Legal Professional

1. Highlight your publications.

If you have published law articles or conducted research in the past, make sure to list them on your resume. It demonstrates your expertise and knowledge in the field. 

2. Include scholastic activities.

Include activities related to your skills and strengths. For example, law-related internships, clubs (e.g., student judiciary board) or events. 

3. Highlight education achievements.

If you are familiar with the movie legally blond, you may know that law students’ academic records are critical to their industry boost. Include academic achievements like grades, awards, and honors.

👉 Learn how to write resume for legal professionals here.