In order to impress potential employers and make sure your resume stands out in an overcrowded field, you’ll need to offer something other candidates can’t. For example, you’ll need specific skills, specific forms of experience, and the type of education that hiring managers see as a fit for this job. You’ll also need the kind of personality and personal traits that can help you excel in this environment….but not all of these qualifications are equal in the eyes of the person skimming your resume, and here’s why: Not all of these qualities are visible in a resume.

Your resume is a one-page document organized and formatted according to universal standards, and there is no great place in such a document to explain that you’re “friendly” or easy to work with, or attentive to detail. To set your resume apart, you’ll need hard evidence that you’ve completed training courses or checked boxes your resume reviewers understand and recognize. A bachelor’s or associate’s degree is a great place to start— because candidates either have one or they don’t. But once you’ve got that box checked, you’ll need additional ways to separate yourself from others who have done the same.

To reach the next step of separation from the pack, turn your attention to certifications. These are certificates award to you by legitimate, recognized certifying bodies. In some cases, the certifying organizations will be state or local governments who can offer you a certification or license after your training work is complete. But in the manufacturing field, you also have access to other certifying bodies and awards that are similar regardless of where you live. Here are a few:

• Six Sigma Green Belt, offered by IASSC
• Certified Manufacturing Specialist, offered by ATMAE
• Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 Lean Manufacturing, offered by Microsoft
• Certified Quality Engineer, offered by ASQ
• Certified Planning Engineer (CPE), offered by AAPM
• Certified Manufacturing Engineer, offered by SME

If any of the above certifications might help you get ahead or stand out in your targeted area, explore the option online and find out what steps you’ll need to take to gain access to the training and get that all-important extra line onto your resume. In today’s hiring market, the smallest moves can help a candidate slip through the cracks or gain the extra advantage necessary to land an interview. Once you receive that invitation, you can let your personality shine and explain the nuanced details of your background that make you special.

For more on how to gain an edge during your manufacturing job search, contact the career management experts at PSU.