Are you someone in the market looking for a new job? Well, then you need to have a resume that doesn’t get sent into a black hole ATS abyss.
In order to land a job you need to have a well written resume. The majority of people and myself included learned how to write a resume during their high school years. We were taught to list out our job duties in chronological order, you may list out awards or extra curricular activities.
When I applied for my first job back in 2005 at McDonald’s I listed out what was needed based on the job description duties for example Good communication skills and able to work within a team environment. It was boring but at the time it got me the job. This approach doesn’t highlight true responsibilities. Majority of people still use this style when writing their resumes throughout their professional career.
I’ve been in the recruiting field for roughly a decade now and the majority of resumes that I read on a daily basis suck. I’ve evaluated thousands of resumes for many tech companies: Best Buy, American Express, Extrade, and Amazon to name a few.
There’s a general theme that I see in resumes they list out job duties but don’t grasp their true responsibilities. They also include a lot of irrelevant information that’s unneeded just to fill in the space. Thankfully, I’m here to help not make your resume suck.
Here’s how to fix your bland resume:
1. Focus on your jobs impact and not on generic or broad responsibilities
Your resume needs to tell a story. You need to show how your previous roles would make you a good fit for the position that you are applying for. Don’t copy and paste all job descriptions that list out generic duties. Instead, highlight your wins. What did you really accomplish within that role? How did you make an impact? Make sure you are concise and direct. Ask yourself does this summarize my actual duties that I accomplished while working here?
2. Remove all irrelevant information
First review the job description and all the requirements to the role. Ask yourself what would the recruiter or hiring manager would want to see from my resume? Focus on those areas instead of the crap. If it feels irrelevant to the role that you are applying for make sure to remove it. For example, college projects, associations, home address, or internships etc.
3. Make it easy to understand and readable
The average recruiter reads a resume within a matter of seconds. You will need help make it easy for the recruiter to find job titles, keywords, and your educational experience within seconds. Also, checking for typos is important. It’s a turn off when there’s misspelled words. A recruiter’s job is to judge someone’s skills and abilities quickly.
4. Update and optimize job titles
When I read a resume, the first thing I look for is having the correct job titles. If the job titles are senior to manager it really changes if the candidate would be a good fit for the role. Make sure to research the appropriate levels for positions and the years of experience needed for the job and only apply for the appropriate jobs.
5. Always tell the truth!
No matter what always make sure you are telling the truth on your resume. Companies do background checks on your experience. I’ve heard of candidates being fired from positions for having lied about their experience. No matter the achievement or your project duties you always need to tell the truth. You may get hired for a position and end up leaving because you we’re not a good fit.
Other factors to consider when writing a resume:
1. Application Tracking Systems (ATS)
When you apply for an open position your resume gets uploaded into an ATS and that tool has an algorithm that automatically screens your resume based off the keywords. Similar to how a search engine uses keywords you need to make sure you’re resume is SEO optimized to rank within this system. There’s a number of ways that you can improve your chances just by adding job titles, looking at the requirements of the position and including those required skills within your resume. Don’t include fluff buzzwords instead focus on required skills.
2. Recruiters vs. Sourcers
They are the gatekeepers to viewing and screening your resume. There main job is to determine if you are qualified for their opening. They then will present your resume to the hiring manager before bringing you onsite. You will need to make sure that your resume fits within the basic qualifications of the job. Do you have the correct job titles, years of experience, and educational background needed for the role?
- Here’s what Recruiters read on your resume within seconds:
- Your location — where do you live would you be open to that commute?
- What companies have you worked at? Are they relevant to our industry?
- Did they complete their bachelor or education?
- Do the job titles correlate to the requirements?
- Do they have the required keyword skill sets?
- Do they have a LinkedIn profile?
3. Hiring Managers
Your resume will need to tell a story when communicating to the hiring manager. It needs to read how you would be a good fit for their team or project. Your resume needs to highlight the skills and abilities for the teams duties. Does your resume paint of picture of success? Will you fit within there teams culture and dynamics? Hiring managers are focused on the big picture.
4. Interview Hiring Event Teams
A large team of interviewers might briefly read your resume. It will need to be easy to read and thorough. They are looking to see if you fit the team or culture as a whole. Larger teams might be focused on hiring a number of roles at once in these scenarios they are viewing a lot of resumes. So readability and flow of your resume is important.
Final Thoughts
What if you don’t have the exact years of experience or skills listed in the job description? I say still apply for the role and build a case for why you would be a good fit when you do connect with the recruiter. They may be more open to changing the experience or years needed for the opening or they may have other openings. You’re resume needs to tell a solid story of accomplishments and why you would be a good fit for there opening.
Recommended Reading:
Is Multitasking Good or Bad in Recruiting?
Jeremy Bonewitz Interview Spotlight
How to Develop Grit and Perseverance in Recruiting
