There is a plethora of resume advice on the web.

But you can’t trust everything you read.

When it comes to resume advice, nobody knows better than recruiters who supervise millions of job applications each year.

This resume guide presents information sourced from the works of Sjoerd Gehring and Kyle Ewing, which you can find online.

Gehring works as the Global Head of Corporate Recruiting at Apple. In his previous role as a VP of talent acquisition for Johnson & Johnson, he managed a recruitment team that screened one million resumes a year.

Ewing is the director of talent and outreach at Google. Google receives 3.3 million resumes every year, so she knows what works and what doesn’t.

With their experience reviewing more than four million job applications per year, here are the resume strategies that they want you to use:

1. Use a Portfolio, Even as a Non-Creative

Gehring suggests that a portfolio isn’t just for graphic designers or animation artists. Even non-creatives can use a portfolio to add power to their resume. A portfolio can allow you to give a detailed walkthrough of your accomplishments and key competencies.

Why should you build a portfolio?

It helps the recruiter see how you can solve company problems. By showing - not just telling, like everyone else does in a resume - you are able to stand out.

2. Emphasize Quality, not Quantity

According to Gehring, you should always emphasize the quality of you achievements, not just quantity - even when you are humblebragging.

3. Solve a Company Problem

To achieve the results that nobody else does, you have to do things that they aren’t willing to do. Think about it. Most candidates send generic resumes. Some of them tailor it to the job. But few study the company at a grassroot level and understand its challenges.

As Gehring suggests, you should study the company’s pain points in detail and find fresh ideas and solutions to explain in the interview.

4. Never Lose Sight of Company Context

Always put context first in your resume as well as cover letter. Gehring cautions against suggesting anything that goes against the company’s core values and primary objectives.

5. Your Unique Experience

Nothing sells you better to a recruiter than past experience. It reveals the results you can produce, when all is said and done.

• Write a resume summary

  Although many resume experts say that you shouldn’t include a resume summary or career objective at the top, Ewing highly recommends it.

  It is a chance to show what you bring to the organization beyond the skills required for the role. To write a strong resume summary, focus on relevant experience and how you can bring value to the organization.

• Include work experience

  But to make it count, you have to focus on the experience and expertise you bring to the table that no one else can. In fact, Google highly values life experience in addition to work experience.

• Include life experience

  A possible explanation is that people who spend meaningful lives outside of work tend to be more fulfilled and accomplish more at work. Moreover, how you spend time outside of nine-to-five indicates what you will add to the company culture.

  Here are some examples of life experiences you can mention in your resume:

  • Volunteer
  • Passion projects
  • Side-hustles

6. Add Context to the Numbers

According to Ewing, the numbers you mention to showcase your past experience and achievements should be linked to the impact you made in the past. To do this properly, you need to use sentences to describe the data and also tell how you achieved those results.

7. Relevant Keywords

Recruiters use a few important keywords in the job description to describe the job responsibilities and requirements. Ewing recommends using the same keywords in your resume to get their attention.

Select the keywords that match with your skill set and work experience and make sure to use them in your resume. Putting the right keywords also makes your resume ATS ready.

8. Pick the Right Time

Ewing offers an amazing meta-strategy to follow when writing your resume.

She suggests that you shouldn’t write your resume when you’re feeling low or tired after a long day at work. Writing a resume feels like a chore anyway – and bringing stress to the activity can damage the quality of your resume.

So, make sure you are in high spirits when you write your resume. Ewing even suggests updating your resume every January instead of when you’re hopelessly searching for a better job.

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The Final Word

The right job can turn your life around so make sure you do your due diligence before writing your resume. It is also crucial to remember that a resume is just one piece of the puzzle.

You need to hone your skills and be ready for the interview as well. Respect your goal and spend time preparing so that you are ready when the opportunity presents itself.

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