Job hunting is a tough job. There are a lot of steps one needs to take to ensure a successful job search and the resume is a big hurdle to tackle.

Asking for a second opinion or a second pair of eyes is a great idea when creating or revamping a resume but you’ll soon discover, everyone has an opinion about what’s best. Be cautious when taking advice because at the end of the day, a resume is your document, your way to pitch yourself and show your skills, so make sure it explains you and your experience well.

Once you’ve created your resume, it’s your job to keep it up to date and be able to explain your experience along the way. It’s almost like notes for yourself and hiring managers to follow along when explaining your aspirations, experience and work history. With that said, there are many ways to write a great resume, including guides and tips online. Here are some resume writing tips to make you stand out from the crowd.

Formatting: Dump the old, traditional format for something more contemporary. Use a lot of white space and a san serif font for a clean look that’s not distracting. Keep the font at a reasonable size so readers don’t struggle to read it and bold when necessary. Keeping the format clean and contemporary is a refreshing look recruiters and hiring managers will appreciate.

Quantify: Some say quantifying accomplishments is difficult but providing numbers related to successes is a great way to showcase achievements. Provide numbers when appropriate and you will stand out with proven results.

Action verbs are your friend: Describing accomplishments are a big part of a resume and using action verbs can help make those accomplishments grab the readers attention. Some examples include – led, managed, coordinated, delivered, accelerated, balance, captured, etc. Be cautious not to over use the helpful words but also use them when necessary.

“What can it do for me?” Keep this question in your mind when writing your resume. Potential hiring managers review resumes with that question in the back of their head. They want to know how you can help them with the job posted. Showcase your skills so readers can see how hiring you will benefit their company. Approach your resume with the idea of what you can bring to the table and how your experience is different from he rest.

Error free is the way to be: This is a no brainer, and one that’s probably been drilled into every job seeker’s head but check, and recheck your resume. It’s not just spelling errors, there are formatting and spacing issues, punctuation problems, and plenty of others that can deter a recruiter or hiring manager from moving forward with a candidate. Get a second or third pair of eyes on your resume to proofread and check for mistakes to confirm it’s 100% error free before sending off.