Need a Job Now? 3 Tips to Create a Stand Out Resume [You Don’t Want to Miss These!]

Scenario

You are a Truck Driver who is having a little bit of difficulty with your independent employment job search. It seems as if the Truck Driving companies you have applied for are declining your resume. Furthermore, the companies reaching out to you have available driving jobs that do not interest you.

You feel as if you have a strong skill- set and the experience for the position. In addition, you have all the valid licenses related to an AZ Driver. You may ask yourself, “why am I still looking for a job? I thought I was qualified for what I was applying for?”.

Due to this, you decide you’d like to submit your Resume to the Elite Jobs team. This will be the best way to find a truck driver job, as their positions are Direct Hire. In addition, the pay rate and the location of the job is exactly what you are looking for.

Elite Jobs would love to assist you in your job search. Before we proceed, it sounds as if your resume may need some tweaking.

3 Tips

The Elite Jobs Team has created 3 Tips on how to create a stand out resume. Ensuring you have included these tips into your resume will result in attracting the attention you want from the Elite Jobs Recruitment team and their clients as well!

The 3 Tips on how to create a stand out resume are:

  1. Resume Format – Professional, Legible and Organized
  2. Work Experience – Updated and Current
  3. Contact Information – Accessible

Resume Format

Man in a dress shirt writing on notepad with pen and typing on his laptop
Concerned about the length of your resume? Ideally, it is 1 – 2 pages. Regardless of your experience, a concise but keyword rich resume will make more of an impact.

Firstly, your resume should have a professional, legible, and organized format. Ideally, it should follow the following order:

  • Name/ Contact Information
  • Education
  • Employment Work Experience
  • Additional Relevant Information

No Need for Objectives

The Elite Jobs Team has not included the heading for Objectives in the resume format. From professional experience, Recruiters and Hiring Managers rarely look at the Objectives heading. It is believed to be an outdated practice.

No Need for Images or Design

The Elite Jobs Team has noticed a growing trend with applicants including photos of themselves. We advise against this, as this irrelevant to a resume. A resume should reflect your qualities, abilities and skills; not any physical attributes.

This also includes the use of stock images, design effects and other animations. Refrain from using these as again, it adds irrelevancy to a resume.

The key to a professional resume is keep it simple, organized and consistent between the pages. Let the words do all the talking!

Education Notes

In the education section, it is only necessary to include Post Secondary and/or higher. Of course, this depends on the level of the position. For example, typical AZ Driver positions do not require the completion of secondary school, however some companies may require this. In the instance that a position specifies that a specific education must be completed, be sure to include it in your resume. Don’t forget to add your start and end dates.

If the position you are interested in applying for requires the applicant to complete a Post Secondary Education, do not include any education prior. It adds irrelevant resume length.

Additional Relevant Information Notes

At the end of your resume, all relevant information that compliments the job posting you are applying for should be included.

Additional Information May Include:

  • Certifications
  • Licenses
  • Achievements
  • Bilingualism

Make sure you include highlights that make you stand out from the other applicants. In addition, these highlights should be relevant to the job you are applying to.

For example, as an AZ Driver you may include additional information such as:

  • Clean Driver’s Abstract
  • Valid AZ License
  • Hand bombing experience

If you are bilingual in the language that the posting outlines is an asset, be sure to include it. Also, mention your level of proficiency.

Work Experience

2 red and blue long haul trucks driving down highway between forest
If you are applying for an AZ Driver position, make sure your resume paints a clear picture of your driving history. Include concise but detailed descriptions such as if you’ve driven across border or local. Include other relevant job duties aside from driving, as well.

Secondly, your work experience in your resume should always be updated and current. Make sure that your work experience:

  • Has short employment gaps
  • Does not include present as a date more than once, unless justifiable
  • Is tailored to the position your are applying for
  • Outlines key words in work experience descriptions

Short Employment Gaps

Your resume should include short employment gaps; meaning there are no short periods of employment or long breaks between jobs. If your resume has long employment employment gaps, make sure to mention in the description why.

Also, sort your employment start and end date for each position worked by most recent to latest. You want to make sure that your employment history is legible and organized.

Remember, your employment history tells a story. If you have long employment gaps, make sure your resume justifies it. In addition, the length worked at each company paints a picture for the recruiter and/ or hiring manager. How you performed in past jobs, is a prediction of your current performance and commitment.

Present

Your resume should include “Present” only once in your employment dates. If you list”Present” more than once, the resume does not look updated. List “Present” more than once only if you currently work for more than 1 employer. If you work for more than 1 employer, be sure to mention if it is a Part Time or Full Time.

Tailor Your Resume to the Position

Furthermore, your employment history should be tailored to the position you are applying for the best you can. For example, if your past work experience includes Mcdonalds prior to AZ Driving, it is not really necessary to include that in your resume. On the other hand, if you believe there are certain skills that are compliment AZ Driving, mention it. For example, if you were responsible for loading and unloading all products for Mcdonalds, that is worth mentioning.

Use Key Words in Experience Descriptions

The Elite Jobs Team recommends to compliment your position listed with descriptions that leave an impact. Use between 3-5 bullet points to describe your responsibilities associated with each position. The Elite Jobs Team are experts in duties reflecting a multitude of positions. Because of this, make sure your descriptions stand out. For example, if you were an AZ Driver for a previous company, include descriptions such as:

  • Received Safe Driver Award 2018 for driving a full year without any infractions
  • Safety unloaded up to 80 pounds without damaging products
  • Acknowledged for on time delivery, both local and cross border trips

As you can see, these job descriptions outline highlights that make your resume favorable. Your job descriptions should answer the question “why should this company hire me?”

Contact Information

woman updating resume on laptop
The Elite Jobs Team works fast. Once a candidate submits their resume, expect us to contact you ASAP. Make sure to be accessible. The faster response time from you, the faster we can get you working.

Lastly, the contact information you provide on your resume should be easily accessible to the Elite Jobs Team and your future employers.

Your contact information on your resume should include:

  • First and Last Name
  • Phone Number
  • Email Address
  • LinkedIn (Bonus)

Phone Number

Your phone number can include both or either cell phone and home phone number. The Elite Jobs Team recommends providing your cell phone number, as that is usually the best way to contact candidates.

Please be sure to set up voicemail, and make sure your inbox has room for messages. Record your voicemail greeting in a professional tone. In addition, your voice projection should be clear. Remember, this can be the recruiters first impression of you.

Email Address

You should always include an email address on your resume. The email address should be appropriate and professional. In addition, pay attention to the spelling in your email address. Make sure it is accurate. The Elite Jobs Team reaches out both via phone and email communication.

The Elite Jobs team advise to provide your personal email address on your resume, not your indeed email address.

LinkedIn

Providing your LinkedIn address is a bonus, however not required. If you do not have a LinkedIn account, the Elite Jobs Team suggest you join. It is free, and it is a great resource for professional networking. Providing your LinkedIn address allows the Elite Jobs Team to view your involvement aside from employment. It allows you to showcase your skills and endorsements, Accomplishments and Interests.

Communication Between Recruiters and Candidates

Young woman with striped shirt talking on cellphone and smiling
It’s always worth the conversation when discussing jobs with the Elite Jobs Team. It is a great opportunity to clarify specific job details, and ask questions. This will allow you to gain further clarity if this position really is what you are looking for.

Once the Elite Jobs Team contacts you, be sure to respond to our messages. Even if you have found another opportunity, or simply decide that it is not the job for you, let us know! Our goal is to find you the position meant for you. If you tell us what you are looking for, we will be sure to keep you in mind during our searches!

Conclusion

In conclusion, 3 tips to making your resume stand out are:

  • Professional resume formatting
  • Updated work experience
  • Accessible contact information

Proofread your resume; make sure all sentence structure, punctuation and spelling are appropriate. Ideally, your resume should be around 1-2 pages in length, and contain 3-5 bullet points per job description containing concise and keyword rich sentences.

If you’re looking for a job, use these 3 tips we’ve mentioned as a guide to strengthen your resume. This will increase your chances of landing an interview by 316%!

Cleaned up your resume? Great! Check out our job board for all available jobs!

 

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