Writing a top-notch resume is a necessity if you are beginning your job search. However, crafting your resume for your dream job can be more difficult than expected. You may have the right skills and experience for the position, but if you can’t showcase yourself properly, your resume may land in the rejection pile.

“Fitting all of your relevant experience and skills on a single page of your resume can be a challenge,” says Lisa Samson,” Director at ES Technology, a division of The Execu|Search Group. “However, if you take the time to strategically write your resume, you’ll be able to truly market yourself against the competition.”

There are certain ways you can make your resume stand out from the crowd. Below are three resume writing tips that will help you during your job search:

Showcase your skills throughout your resume

Listing out your technical skills on your resume is critical for an IT professional. While most job seekers showcase their technical knowledge in the skills section, you’ll need to do more to stand out from the competition. While you are writing your resume, include experience that utilizes these technical skills throughout the body of your resume. “Hiring managers will scan through your resume to search for specific skills needed for the role. If your skills are only listed in the technical skills section of your resume, it doesn’t prove if you have practical experience using these skills,” says Lisa. “Hiring managers may assume you aren’t an expert in their required skills and may not think you are a fit for the role.”

Provide a link to your GitHub or portfolio in your resume

Employers not only want to learn how you utilize your skills, they also want to see proof of your skills in the work you’ve done. That’s why including a link to your previous work in your resume can be a gamechanger during your job search. More hiring managers want to see portfolios before the interview stage of the hiring process.  That’s why being proactive and including a link to your portfolio will make you stand out from other candidates with the same level of experience as you. Front-End Developers, Full-Stack developers, and UI/UX designers should include a link to their GitHub account, an open source platform for developers to showcase their work. Technical writers and IT trainers should have a link to their portfolio to showcase their work.

Only include experience on your resume that you can explain in an interview

Your resume is meant to showcase the experience and skills that will transition to the job you are applying for. When you write out this experience, you’ll need to be able to explain in detail what you’ve done and how it can apply to the job you are interviewing for. “You want to know your resume like the back of your hand, and you should be able to speak about every bullet point you’ve listed,” advices Lisa. “Hiring managers will be asking you deeper questions about your experience. If you can’t explain what you’ve done in more detail, you might not make it to the next stage of the hiring process.”

Need more insight into the current job market and how it may impact your job search? Check out our Career Outlook to find out what employers are looking for in today’s job seekers.