How to Showcase Your Skills on Your Resume That Set You Apart

Let's be honest. Job hunting sucks! 

When you’re a mid-career professional, you've got years of experience, diverse skills, and a proven track record, but somehow, your resume seems to get lost in the shuffle.

Many of us struggle with making our resumes truly stand out. Our unique strengths can easily get buried under generic phrases and a long list of job duties. 

But here's the good news: you have the power to change that!

This blog will help you unlock the hidden potential of your resume and showcase the skills that set you apart. By the end, you'll have a clear strategy for creating a targeted resume that grabs the attention of hiring managers and opens doors to new career opportunities.

🦸🏻‍♀️ Step 1: Unearth Your Hidden Superpowers 

The first step to building a killer resume is a self-assessment. Take a moment to reflect on your career journey so far.

🔎 What are you most proud of? Think about the projects you led, the challenges you overcame, and the impact you made on your teams and organizations.

🔎 What skills have you mastered? Don't just list technical skills (although those are important too!). Consider soft skills like communication, leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability. These are highly valued by employers.

🔎 What feedback have you received? Recall compliments from colleagues, managers, or clients. These can be great indicators of your strengths.

Grab a pen and notebook and write down everything that comes to mind.
Don't hold back – this is your chance to brag about yourself!

💪🏽 Step 2: Align Your Strengths with Your Goals

Now that you have a clearer picture of your unique strengths, it's time to align them with your career goals.

🔎 What kind of job are you looking for? Are you aiming for a promotion, a lateral move, or a career change?

🔎 What are the key requirements of your target roles? Research job descriptions and identify the most common skills and qualifications.

🔎 Where do your strengths and goals overlap? These are your Unique Selling Points (USPs) – the skills and experiences that make you the ideal candidate.

📊 Step 3: Craft a Targeted Resume

Your resume shouldn't be a one-size-fits-all document. Tailor it to each job application, highlighting the USPs that are most relevant to the specific role.

🌟 Keywords: Sprinkle relevant keywords throughout your resume. This will help your resume get noticed by applicant tracking systems (ATS) that many companies use.

🌟 Accomplishments: Instead of listing job duties, focus on your achievements. Use numbers and data to quantify your impact whenever possible. For example, instead of saying "Managed a team of five," you could say "Led a team of five to achieve a 20% increase in sales within six months."

🌟 Modern Format: Your resume should be easy to read and visually appealing. Use clear headings, bullet points, and white space to make it scannable.

💻 Step 4: Personal Branding

Think of your resume as your personal marketing tool.

👉 Summary or Tagline: Write a brief summary or tagline at the top of your resume that captures your essence and career goals.

👉 Online Presence: Now that you have updated your resume, it’s time to update your LinkedIn Profile. Read this article entitled “10 LinkedIn Profile Upgrades You Need to Make Now”. 

Remember:

Your resume is a living document. Keep it updated and continue to refine it as you gain new skills and experience. Don't be afraid to experiment with different formats and approaches until you find what works best for you.

With a little effort and the right strategy, you can create a resume that showcases your unique skills and lands you the job of your dreams.

So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your resume makeover today!

Sincerely,

Lauren

P.S.

Let me know if you need more help with your resume. Schedule your free 20-minute consultation today!

To get a better idea of the topics we might cover, you can check out common questions, view the career package details, and book a session through this link.