How to Leverage Your Resume in an Interview

The goal of your resume is to get you an interview and ultimately secure you the job. Since it is so crucial in the hiring process, you should spend a lot of time on it. Landing a great job is a job in and of itself. You need to get past the applicant tracking system (ATS), which is a type of software most companies use to automate the screening process and filter out irrelevant resumes. If yours makes it to the hiring manager’s desk, it needs to be impressive enough to get you an interview. 

The interview is a make-or-break moment for you. Your resume is what got you there, so leverage it to ace that interview. In this article, we explore some ways in which you can use your resume in your interview to walk away with the job. If you still can’t get your resume just the way you want it, get in touch with our professional resume writers.

Be confident

If you have an interview, your resume was obviously good enough to get you there. So, go in confidently, but don’t be arrogant. Be assured yet humble, acknowledging that all the other candidates being interviewed also have stellar resumes. Just let the confidence of getting to this point drive you to excel in the interview. 

Memorize your resume

When hiring managers pick up a resume, they don’t spend much time on it. If they like what they see, they’ll call you in for an interview. What will they be looking at while interviewing you? You guessed it—your resume! If you can’t remember what’s on it, you’ll stumble over your words and appear unprepared, so know your resume inside and out. 

Of course, it should differ slightly for each company you submit it to, but the core should remain the same, making it relatively easy to memorize the content. You should be able to explain why you chose to include what’s on your resume. If you filled it with keywords from the job description (which you should do—you won’t be treated favorably by the ATS otherwise), you also need to prove how you acquired those skills or qualifications. Before the interview, memorize your resume and be ready to provide an answer to any question the hiring manager might ask about it. 

Don’t just stick to the script

If you walk into a job interview with a prepared speech, the recruiter might see you as someone who can’t think on their feet and decide against hiring you. Instead, go off script a little bit. Yes, you should memorize your resume, but during your interview, you should also touch on skills or qualifications you didn’t include in your resume for whatever reason. 

If you merely recite your resume, you won’t be giving the hiring manager any additional information about yourself. Go off script and show them who you really are. The interview is like a live version of the resume. Also, don’t forget that this is an interview, not a monologue. The hiring manager may throw you a question you weren’t expecting, so while you should be prepared for whatever comes your way, you can’t have an eloquent speech ready for everything anyway.

Do your homework

Before you walk into the interview, research the company and get to know its business and philosophy. What are its culture, mission, and values? The more you know about the company, the more you can impress the interviewer with your knowledge. 

This shows partly on your resume when you use keywords from the job description to present your skills and qualifications. Another glimpse into your research efforts is afforded by your cover letter, where you respectfully address the hiring manager by name. You’ll also want to break out this knowledge during the interview to give the hiring manager even more reasons to onboard you.

Act professional

A job interview is a formal conversation that can determine your career path, so comport yourself professionally and respectfully, beginning with your attire and the way you address the receptionist and the hiring manager. Be yourself, but don’t be too casual in your speech. Aim for polite and respectful, adopting a more formal demeanor without going overboard. Show them how interested you are in their company by asking meaningful questions that you contemplated beforehand. Whether you get the job or not, always send a note to thank them for their time and consideration. 

In a sense, you’re a walking version of your resume during the interview. Let your personality shine through—but make sure it’s the polite and reserved side of it—and draw confidence from the fact that you got an interview. However, to land an interview in the first place, your resume has to be top-notch. If you need help with it, get in touch with our resume experts today!