How do I make my resume stand out?

In my previous career as a Human Resource Generalist, one of my dreaded tasks was reading over the submitted applications and resumes for the very few and far between job vacancies. It was dreadful! Within just a few minutes, my eyes would gloss over and my mind jellied over. How was I to pick the best candidates from the sea of white on my desk?

Every once in a while there would be one sheet that would shine brighter than the others; a simple tweak here, a different organization of information, a depth of knowledge instead of tasks. These seem like such small differences; yet, differences they were. 

That is what your resume must convey to the next HR Generalist looking at a sea of white. Your resume must be the light that beacons to be read. 

Set a stop watch for 10 seconds. Read your resume. 

STOP!

Would you hire you? Do you feel like your resume will get lost in that white sea? 

Below are nine ways to improve your resume so that you get the long sought after call.

1. Contact Information - Make sure the contact information on your resume is clear and concise. Use one phone number, address, and e-mail. If you have a permanent address and a local address - use the one that you will receive your mail at. Above all, make sure your e-mail and LinkedIn information is listed and updated.
2. Professional Title - Can you tell from your 10 second review what role you are vying for? If not, make that the center of attention. Put it in bold letters. Make sure that HR Generalist knows you are the pick for the advertised job.
3. Keywords - Does your resume have them? They are fairly easy to find through a Google search of that professional title at the top of your resume. If not, you may be looked over by those organizations that use software instead of humans to do the first review of resumes.
4. Show Accomplishments and Achievements - Does your resume list the tasks you've completed? Your daily agenda? If so, change it immediately. Your professional title gives the reader a sense of what your day probably looks like. Now, tell the reader how you can help them improve their organization. 
5. The Story - When you reviewed your resume, did you see the story of your professional progression? The story is what will keep people engaged and interested in reading more. It is what will get you the first call. Ultimately, that is all you are looking for - that call.
6. KPI - Key Performance Indicators - don't leave them on the shore, get them in your boat. Your resume should convey, in a data driven sense, your level of performance. It is the only way that the reader of your resume can determine if you are a fish out of water or a fish ready to swim in new water.
7. Certifications and Credentials - Don't wait until the end to brag about yourself. At first this may make you a bit uncomfortable, that was certainly true for me. Put those acronyms after your name in the contact information - MBA, RN, LSSGB - brag about yourself! Then make sure to list them again at the end of your resume in more detail.
8. URL's - This is the time of social media. If you have a relevant online presence - then put it out there. The contact information section is a great place for this information. Word of caution - if you haven't cleaned up the online presence or had a recent blog post - do not offer it.  
9. Verbs - Remember that pesky English class? Here is where those lessons come into focus. Use verbs in your resume to convey action and leave the adjectives to the wayside. There are many websites that can help you replace the descriptive words with action words - seek them out!

Now that you've made the changes, take 10 seconds to review it. Better? Does it tell the story of your career thus far? Can you see how you will help the next organization? 

If so, you no longer will just be another piece of paper in a sea of white.