You’ve sent out dozens of resumes and still no interview. Sound familiar? You’re not alone—and you’re not doing anything ‘wrong.’ But small shifts can make a huge difference.
You have studied resume examples, read countless articles with expert advice, some of which are contradictory, maybe used ChatGPT to polish your draft. You have edited, refined and re-read it until it felt perfect.
You have hit “send” on a dozen job applications… and you have heard nothing. Not even a single response.
It is certainly disheartening- but this can be fixed. If your resume is not getting you interviews, here are a few strategies to help it stand out.
Self-Review Questions:
Take a step back and read your resume as if you were the hiring manager. Ask yourself:
- In the first 5-10 seconds, can I clearly see the candidate’s key skills- both technical and interpersonal?
- Is it obvious how these skills would add value to my team or solve a problem for my company.
If the answer to either is “not quite,” it’s time to revise.
Objective/Summary:
Does your resume include a clearly written objective or a well-crafted executive summary? What you choose to include depends on your career stage.
There’s no universal rule—experts often disagree on whether this section is necessary. But in many cases, an objective or summary can help highlight your key skills, qualifications, and career goals—especially if you’re a new graduate, changing industries, re-entering the workforce, or targeting a specific type of role.
If you choose to include an objective, keep it to just two or three sentences and it clearly communicates:
- Your key skills and education
- What you're looking for
- Or how you can contribute to the company
Once you’ve written it, take a moment to re-read it. Does it flow naturally? Does it reflect your strengths and interests? Will it catch a recruiter’s attention in just a few seconds?
Now look at it again, and compare it to the job posting. Does your statement include relevant keywords. If not, revise it so that these terms appear naturally- either in the skills section or in your summary.
Examples:
Example 1 — Marketing Graduate (with keywords from job posting):
Recent Marketing graduate with strong skills in social media strategy, content creation, and data analysis. Eager to contribute to a creative team where I can support brand growth and digital engagement.
Example 2 — Senior Operations Leader (tailored keywords):
Strategic operations leader with 15+ years of experience driving continuous improvement, scaling business processes, and leading cross-functional teams in high-growth environments. Proven success in aligning operational execution with business strategy and delivering measurable outcomes in efficiency, cost reduction, and team performance.
Body of the Resume:
Now let’s move on to the next section of your resume: your work experience and skills.
Once again, take a step back and review what you’ve written with fresh eyes. Ask yourself:
- Is this just a list of tasks and responsibilities, or does it highlight results and impact?
- Have I clearly demonstrated the outcomes of my work?
- Have I separated my technical skills (like tools and systems) from my performance-based skills (like communication, leadership, or problem-solving)?
This section should tell a story—not just of what you’ve done, but how well you’ve done it and the value you brought to each role.
Keeping in mind that the length of the resume should not exceed two pages, look to see how to format the resume to clearly identify experiences, outcomes, both technical and performance based skills.
Your resume is almost ready—but don’t forget the final polish. Check for typos, grammatical errors, and formatting inconsistencies. Make sure the layout is clean, and that your experience, results, and skills are easy to find.
At this point, it can be incredibly helpful to get a second set of eyes on your resume. Whether it’s a trusted colleague, a mentor, or a professional resume coach, outside feedback can reveal overlooked edits, highlight areas for improvement, and bring clarity to your narrative.
You’ve been deep in the details—sometimes it takes an outsider to see what’s missing or what could be stronger. At Rising Rungs, we offer personalized resume reviews that go beyond grammar checks. We help you refine your message, sharpen your impact, and ensure your resume truly reflects your potential.
Congratulations, at this point, you have built a strong foundational resume—this is the template you will now adapt for each job you will be applying..
Next Steps
There was a time when one well-crafted resume could be sent to multiple employers. Not anymore.
In today’s hiring landscape—especially with Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)—your resume needs to reflect the specific language and priorities of each posting. Tailoring your resume for every role may feel overwhelming at first, but with a few simple strategies, it becomes a manageable—and highly effective—process.
Read my next blog to see how you can take this resume and customize it for different postings.
“How to Tailor Your Resume for Different Postings—Without Starting from Scratch”