An excellently written resume is one that not only attracts and holds the attention of the reader but also convinces them to get to know you better and schedule an interview with you. Here are five tips on how to make that interview happen.
Making Your Resume Stand Out: Top Tips
In a sea of sameness, standing out isn't just helpful but essential. Recruiters receive 300+ applications in the first 24 hours of posting a new role. They physically cannot spend more than a few seconds scanning each application, so you need to grab their attention fast. But that doesn't mean using flashy fonts or gimmicks. A standout resume is clear, focused, tailored to the role, and (most importantly!) clearly tells your career story. It highlights real achievements, not just responsibilities, and shows the value you bring to the table. Whether you are new to the job market or looking to move up, making your resume stand out is about strategy. Here’s how to make sure yours rises to the top.
Make Your Summary Statement as Effective as Can Be
You need to make your summary statement specifically tailored not only for the particular job but also for the company you’re sending it to. The one-size-fits-all resume no longer works in this day and age, and today’s savvy recruiters can easily spot when this is the case.
For an effective summary, begin with a smart description of yourself, then follow this up with a statement highlighting the skills, experience, and education that have the biggest relevance to the position. Mention at least one significant professional achievement. Most important of all, use strong action words to begin your sentences (e.g., achieved, amplified, delegated, established, increased) so you’ll appear confident and capable.
Here are two examples of different summaries. Decide for yourself, which one reads better and gets a callback:
Dynamic and results-oriented professional with a proven track record of success in fast-paced environments. Adept at cross-functional collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and driving innovative solutions that optimize organizational efficiency. A highly motivated team player with strong communication skills, a passion for excellence, and a commitment to continuous improvement and strategic alignment with business goals. Known for being detail-oriented, proactive, and goal-driven with a strong ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver impactful outcomes.
vs.
Marketing specialist with 5+ years of experience managing paid social and email campaigns using Meta Ads Manager, Klaviyo, and Google Analytics. Increased lead conversion by 42% YoY through A/B testing and funnel optimization. Led the launch of a targeted re-engagement campaign that brought back $350K in lapsed revenue within Q2 2024.
Focus on Accomplishments and Back Them Up with Numbers
The biggest mistake an applicant can make is to write a laundry list of responsibilities that they have held in their past jobs. Instead of being responsibility-driven, which is widely considered to be a passé resume-writing technique, make your resume accomplishment-oriented. Show your potential employer how you contributed to your organization, how you added value, how you showed initiative, and how you handled a difficult situation. By listing your accomplishments, you not only relay what you can do, but you also prove that the way you perform your tasks makes a positive impact.
The best approach to showcase your accomplishments is with real numbers because these stand out in the eyes of recruiters and hiring managers. Numbers build credibility, as they not only show that you were successful at your previous job but also indicate that you are meticulous with results.
For a more impressive resume, be sure to provide context for your quantified accomplishments, such as comparing the company’s productivity or profitability before and after your input (e.g., Increased overall profits by 10%), or how quick it took you to meet and exceed expectations (e.g., Completed training of 50 employees in two weeks).
If you’re wondering how to stand out in your career narrative, this is one of the most effective ways. Specific, measurable accomplishments tell a much more powerful story than vague descriptions. Think about your impact: Did you reduce costs, improve efficiency, boost engagement, or grow revenue? Add numbers to prove it, and make sure each bullet in your resume earns its place.
Make It Easy on the Eyes
A well-written and error-free resume is not enough — you also need to make sure it looks clean and appealing. Here are tips on how to help your resume stand out visually:
- Use a professional and modern font - good examples include Helvetica, Cambria, or the resume favorite, Calibri.
- Keep your font size to 11 or 12 for legibility, as well as to ensure you have plenty of space to write in case you have significant work experience.
- Use only black and white colors for formality and consistency.
What Not to Include If You Want Your Resume to Stand Out (for the Right Reasons)
You may think flashy design helps you stand out, but in reality, it often backfires, especially with ATS. Here’s what to avoid if you want your resume to be seen by both hiring managers and software:
❌ Sidebars/columns: ATS reads left to right, and columns might confuse parsing
❌ Infographics: Bots can’t interpret visuals or icons
❌ Text in headers or footers: Often skipped entirely by ATS software
❌ Excessive colors: Can hinder readability, especially in grayscale scans
Jenny's Story: A Visual Resume Gone Wrong
Jenny, a Resumeble client, had a beautifully designed resume: with teal sidebars, custom icons, and a two-column layout. It looked great to the human eye, but ATS systems couldn’t read most of it. Keywords were lost, headings weren’t recognized, and her experience was hidden in text boxes. After working with our writer, we removed the visuals, switched to a clean one-column layout, used Calibri 11pt, bolded standard headers (Experience, Education, Skills), and trimmed the resume to 1.5 pages. Jenny started landing interviews within two weeks.
Include a Cover Letter
A cover letter helps give your resume a more personal and friendly touch. It also allows you to elaborate on your resume, giving you the opportunity to provide more information about your skills. Even if they don’t ask for a cover letter, it will be wise to include one with your resume. Make sure the font type and size match your resume for a cohesive look.
Even if a cover letter is marked as optional - write one, but only if you're going to write it yourself. A genuine, well-crafted cover letter still holds power in showing recruiters who you are beyond your resume. When done right, it gives you the chance to connect on a human level and tell a bit of your story in a way that feels real and personal.
If you're capable of writing a thoughtful, heartfelt cover letter, do it. Let the recruiter see you as a person, not just a list of skills and titles. That can be the difference between getting an interview and getting passed over.
However, if you're thinking about copying a template or relying entirely on AI to write your cover letter, it’s better to skip it altogether. Unless you heavily edit it, those letters tend to sound generic, repetitive, and robotic. Recruiters read dozens of them every day, and they can tell. A low-effort, soulless letter is more likely to hurt your chances than help.
If you're asking yourself how can you make your resume stand out, consistency between your resume and cover letter helps. But only if both sound like you, not a machine.
How to Make Your Resume Stand Out in the Age of AI (and Real Humans)
Today, it's not about adding fancy jargon or filling up space with trendy phrases. It's about telling your career story in simple, clear language, backed by real results and free of fluff.
What makes a resume stand out now?
It needs to do two things at once:
- Speak naturally to the human recruiter who is skimming your resume in 6–10 seconds
- Check the right boxes for the AI and ATS software that scans for relevance
A common myth is that resumes need to “beat the bots” by keyword-stuffing or copy-pasting entire chunks of job descriptions (big no-no!). That doesn’t work anymore (and it never worked well, really, despite what some redditors might be saying).
For example, if a job post says they’re looking for “a confident team player with excellent communication skills who’s proficient in Python,” the real keyword here is Python. The rest? It’s just corporate filler. Your resume won’t stand out by repeating vague traits like “team player.” Instead, focus on showing how and where you used Python to get results. So, instead of:
- Confident team player with strong communication skills; collaborated with cross-functional teams.
Write something like:
- Built and deployed Python-based automation tools that reduced processing time by 40%.
If you're thinking, how can you make your resume stand out without overselling, this is it: skip the overused buzzwords, add quantifiable proof, and speak like a human.
Ready to Polish Your Resume with a Bit of Expert Help?
You don’t have to figure out how to make your resume stand out all on your own, but you can take the first step with confidence. All it takes is a clear structure, the right language, and a fresh set of eyes.
At Resumeble, we’re here to support you: not just by writing for you, but by helping you understand what works and why. Our resume samples and downloadable templates are a great starting point if you want to take control of your own edits. And if you’d like a little more personalized help, one of our expert writers can work with you one-on-one to refine your content, highlight your accomplishments, and tailor your resume to the job you’re aiming for.
You already have the experience. We’ll help you shape it into a story that gets noticed by both hiring managers and ATS.
No pressure, no jargon. Just a collaborative, thoughtful process to help you feel confident hitting “submit.”
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FAQs About Resume Writing
Q: How long should my resume be?
A: It’s best to limit your resume to one page, two if you have more than 7 years of working experience. Studies have shown that readers only take an average of six seconds to scan a resume. Aside from keeping it concise, a one-page resume ensures that recruiters can make up their mind quickly on whether they are interested in hiring you.
Q: How should I format my resume?
A: The most common resume format is reverse-chronological order. However, this only works if you have an established career. For those looking to change careers or have employment gaps, a functional resume — one that focuses more on skills than work experience — will be more appropriate.
Q: What should I include in my resume?
A: To provide employers with a well-rounded idea of your qualifications, here’s how you should structure your resume:
- Contact Information
- Summary Statement
- Work Experience
- Skills
- Education
This format works for most cases, but depending on your situation, you may want to organize the sections according to what you want to highlight the most. Regardless of how you choose to format your resume, make sure to put your biggest achievements and most impressive qualifications at the top of it.