A corporate job receives 250 resumes on average. Of those applicants, four to six will get an interview and only one will get hired.

Considering only about 2% of applicants get called for an interview, it’s obvious that you need a top-notch resume to get the attention of hiring managers.

You likely already have a resume, but is it the best it can be? If you are having a hard time landing an interview, a few tweaks to your resume could help. Follow these tips to make improvements to your resume that can have a big impact.

Delete Your Object Statement

Resume objective statements are outdated and unneeded. That’s because a traditional objective statement tells a potential employer what you’re looking for in an employer. The truth is, companies aren’t as interested in what you want out of a job. They’re interested in what you can do for them. Delete your object statement and replace it with a Professional Summary that gives a brief overview of your abilities and accomplishments. 

Use Keywords

Most employers use an Applicant Tracking System to help manage their hiring. These systems feature a keyword search tool that will search through candidate resumes to identify specific keywords related to the position. If you don’t use the right keywords, your resume won’t get noticed. Make sure to include relevant keywords in your resume. To determine what keywords you should use, review the job posting and look for keywords you can incorporate in your resume.

Use Active Voice

Active voice means the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed by the verb. Sentences using active voice are less wordy, clearer, and more direct. You want your resume to be as concise as possible, so always use active voice, as opposed to passive voice, when writing your resume or cover letter.

Example: 

Active Voice – The boy ate the apple.

Passive Voice – The apple was eaten by the boy.

Remove Unneeded Info

To help keep your resume clear and concise, go through and remove all unneeded information. Delete any unnecessary dates, filler sentences and gratuitous design elements. You can also lose the line “References upon request.” If a potential employer needs references, they will ask you for them.

Fix Your Formatting

Don’t crowd your resume onto one page with 8 point font and no white space. This makes it hard for the hiring manager to read. Instead, make sure to use no smaller than 10 point font, include line breaks after each position in your Experience section, and choose a typeface that’s easy to read, like Arial or Times New Roman. And don’t fret if your resume goes longer than one page, especially if you’ve been in the workforce for a while and have more than a few past positions to list. 

By making these quick and easy changes to your resume, hopefully, you will find more success in your job search.

Get Help With Your Job Search

If you could use some help finding an accounting or finance position in the St. Louis area, contact Burchard & Associates. We’ve helped countless job seekers in St. Louis and beyond find the next step in their careers at some of the area’s premier employers. Check out our available opportunities or contact us today.