Human resource personnel in different companies worldwide process thousands of resumes in a month. Some of them may have helpful software programs that filter worthy candidates, but most rely on good old hard copy reading to find somebody who can fit the specific job requirements.

If you’re a job seeker, are you confident that your resume can reach at least the top five candidates and even get the job itself? If an HR staff glances at your resume for 30 seconds, can he or she get the juiciest parts of your marketability and thus give you advantage in the application process?

To make sure you make the cut, here are five essential resume details that you should polish to get a recruiter’s attention.

Education

Though not all industries require a college diploma, a bachelor’s degree can give you significant advantage in your career. If you’re a college graduate, make sure it reflects on your two-page resume. Indicate your years of stay in the university, your course, and even your grade point average if it gives you an advantage. You can also include relevant certifications that you’ve earned while in school. Extra-curricular activities can benefit you, too, depending on the job you’re applying for.

Experience/Background

Most jobs today require at least a few years of related experience from their candidates. If you ask a recruitment process outsourcing firm for advice, they’ll tell you that your marketability may also increase with the number of your years of career. That doesn’t necessarily mean that fresh graduates don’t have an advantage, of course. But if you do have at least five years of relevant work experience, you have an edge against your fellow applicants.

Trainings

While experience can matter more in practical terms on the office, a few important trainings related to your dream job can also give your resume a boost. Human resource practitioners know the importance of Six Sigma trainings, Microsoft Office suite certifications, and other soft skills that can be applied in any industry. After all, process improvement, innovation, and process excellence are the buzzwords of today’s working world.

Character References

Your human resource contact will notice if you indicated your colleague instead of your manager as your character reference in your resume. Make sure you include your mentors as your character references as they have seen you work from the perspective of a higher up. Even trusted manpower supply companies in UAE recommend indicating at least two or three previous managers or mentors to ask about your attitudes, work ethics, and behavioral cues.

Career goals

You can also indicate your short- and long-term career goals in your resume. It’s inspiring to hire a person with a goal, after all. You can describe your career goals in general terms and let the recruiters ask about the details during the interview.

Keep these important details on your resume to have better chances of getting that job.