4 Secrets to a Standout Resume

4 Secrets to a Standout Resume 4 Secrets to a Standout Resume Team player. Results-oriented. Self-motivated.You already know where this is going. These are some of the most generic termsanyone could use on their resume, and yet everyone uses them. Why? Because weve been trained to think that this is what companies want to hear.To really stand out and grab a readers attention, your resume needs to tellyour unique story. Skip the clichs and follow these four steps instead1. Be Honest and Genuine in Your SummaryReally dig down to the heart of what you do and why. Include what drives, excites, or motivates you about your work. This is your chance to make a connection with the reader. Dont squander it.2. Its Okay to Be BriefWhile your inclination may be to write a list of everything you were responsible for under each position you held, dont. Job duties dont mean much without real results. Share your so what instead of responsible for.For example, you could say you were responsible for new client development.In this case, the so what might be Consistently brought in $2 million dollars of new business each year. More significant, right?Rather than responsible for mentoring junior sales staff, you could say All junior sales staff under my direction were promoted to senior sales associates within three months, well above the company average of seven months for other departments.A couple of good so whats will make more of an impact than a laundry list of responsible fors could ever make.3. Look to Your LegacyWherever you worked, you either added value or detracted from it. Think about what you did, initiated, or implemented that left the organization better off. It could be that you made the push for the company to revamp their corporate culture. Did you start the internal communications plan the company totenstill follows long after youve moved on? If you created it, its yours to claim on your resume4. Convey Your Desired Career PathAll hiring managers are interested in your career progression. Naturally, they will be curious about why you left each job and what you hoped to gain in each new position. If you can offer them insight into these areas, theyll get a much clearer picture of your career growth and the thought processbehind it.Remember, a resume is supposed to generate interest in the reader. It doesnt have to offer all the details of your story it just needs to tell a compelling story. You can fill in all the blanks in person.A version of this article originally appeared on theAtrium Staffing blog.Michele Mavi isAtrium Staffings resident career expert.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.