I mentioned in my last update that employers do not hire perfect resumes; they hire people with Attitude! A positive attitude…
But in order to get to the point to show whether you have one or not, you have to get your resume ready for the introduction. Whether you are currently working, transitioning to something brand new, or have been out of work for quite some time, these are my top 3 tips for getting your resume viewed and getting the interview scheduled.
- Relevance – keep it simple and relatable
- The key about keywords – think of Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- It all comes back to the basics
Relevance – Your resume must show how your talents and skills are relevant to you solving their problem. How do you know what is their problem? It’s listed in the job posting. You may very well be their solution and you know it, but they might be speaking a different language and so you must be crystal clear in how your experience relates to them.
In some situations, you’ve got to translate, so they don’t have to interpret it. This might mean changing your title (different companies have titles that mean different things and some companies use titles without much importance at all). In other situations, you need to include a couple of sentences describing your employer (especially if they’re not a well-known name). Another easy way to prove you’re relevant is using numbers for measurement. For example, if you are a manager, include how many people you have on your team(s), the number of locations, sales volume, or percentage increase over last year, etc. You need to make it simple and clear for them to see how you can be their solution.
Also, sometimes you need to reduce the amount of information you share. You can make it quick for them to understand your points by using one-lined bullets. This is an excellent way to get your information delivered and discerned with faster interest; enough interest for them to reach out to you for a real conversation.
2. Key words – The key about key words is knowing how applicant tracking systems and resume management software work. Obviously, it’s critical to include the right keywords in your resume, but if you have too many from the job description without supporting information, your resume won’t be returned as a match. Not enough and/or too many duplicate keywords will work against you. You must show you have career highlights and accomplishments that support those keywords. How boring would it be to read a resume that looks and sounds just like the job description? You need to tease them with just enough information so they’re intrigued and want to learn more. So, use Goldilocks as the reminder; not too much, not too little, just the right amount of keywords (with examples) will be the way to get the resume through the system. That’s when they’ll want to schedule the interview.
3.
The basics – Lastly, it all comes back to the basics. Always, every single time, proofread before sending! Use spell check and then go the extra step and double check for words that are spelled correctly but used in the wrong way. Examples are, manger instead of manager, or costume instead of customer, or pubic instead of public, to name a few. Another suggestion is to have someone (anyone) proofread it for you… so many times we overlook our own typos because our brains know what it’s supposed to say and compensate for it.
Other basics to remember… make sure your contact information is correct and easily accessible. When I was recruiting, I can’t tell you how many times I wanted to pick up the phone to call a candidate only to have no number listed! Other times the email address was undeliverable. I don’t like to mention basics because well, they’re basics! But you really cannot overlook them. We’re all human and make mistakes, but you don’t want an avoidable error to ruin your chance of getting your resume to introduce you. You need to make the best first impression with this document.
Finally, before you send your resume out, please make sure you’ve included your best examples that match that role. Tweak it, adjust where necessary, understand the resume is always a work in progress. Don’t fall into a false sense of security that since you finally put the time into updating it, that it can be used for every single job out there – please take this as your only opportunity to make that best first impression.
I’d be happy to provide you with a complimentary critique of your resume – just respond to this email with your resume (any format is fine) and I’ll get back to you with professional feedback.
With Much Gratitude!
Janet Logan
