In the eyes of recruiters, job applicants are defined by what they say they are on a sheet a paper – and yes, you’re right, I’m talking about your resume. A masterfully-written resume can be the difference between landing an interview versus having your application thrown out in a matter of mere seconds. While the majority of job seekers know the basics of how to include their work history and job skills on their resume, few have in their arsenal all the tricks and know-how necessary to take their resume to that next level. With that being said, here are 5 resume tips that will help you land that dream job you’ve always wanted.
**1. Don’t include your address if you don’t currently live near the job location ** Applying for a job in New York City when you live in California? If so, then do yourself a favor and leave your address out of your resume. Why you might ask? Because some employers are going to prefer hiring people from around the area for a number of reasons. They might be worried about relocation fees or practicality issues. Some might simply want to hire someone from around the area because they feel more comfortable with it. On the other hand, if you’re applying to a job in the area close to where you live, including your address as you normally would give you an edge over those who are applying from far away.
2. Consider a two-page resume A 2018 resume study covered by Business Insider found that job recruiters might actually prefer two-page resumes over one-page ones. Crazy right? The study consisted of a hiring simulation in which 482 hiring professionals participated. According to the data, these hiring professionals ended up being 2.3 times as likely to go with resumes that were two-pages in length as opposed to those that were only one page long.
3. Use an online resume template If you haven’t done your research, you might be thinking, “Golly geez, I have to write my resume entirely from scratch on a blank Word document!” However, the truth is, you’re one quick Google search away from finding some stellar resume templates that are completely free to download and use. So instead of doing it all from scratch and making life hard on yourself, decrease your chances of making any silly margin or spacing mistake and just go with a professionally-designed resume template.
Be careful not to choose an overly fancy resume template though! Resume templates that rely on super complex design techniques might be hard to parse by applicant tracking systems and aren’t worth the risk.
4. Get professional help from a resume writing service One of the things that never really dawns on any job seeker is that you don’t actually have to be the one who writes your own resume. There are professional resume writing services out there with experienced career professionals that can do the work for you.
It is important though to choose the right service. Just because you opt to hire a professional doesn’t guarantee yourself a top-notch resume. In fact, a whole CNBC article was written detailing what you should know about resume writing services before choosing one.
5. Abuse the applicant tracking system algorithms In today’s business world, almost all major corporations use applicant tracking systems in one way or another to screen your resume during the preliminary stages of the hiring process. However, because these applicant tracking systems primarily score your resume based on how many matching keywords they can identify, there’s a trick you can employ that will allow you to score extremely well.
Usually, the keywords these tracking systems look for are the very keywords mentioned in the description of the job opening. So, if you’re willing to put in a little extra effort to make sure your resume uses the same terminology and phrases like those in the job description, you can bet that your resume will earn a top score.
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Just came across some interesting job search information and wanted to share. This info and more is available on YouTube...work it daily
One thing thats covered is to ask questions so the interviewer sees that you're interested in the position and enhances communication with your interviewer vs that dreaded dead air
- How did you come to work here or what do you live most about working here?
The answer will give you insight into the company, it's employees, and other information. 2. Tell me what made a recent hire successful Again this shows interest in what you can do to not only get the job but keep the job and possibly even get a promotion later. By asking what made someone successful you show that you want to be successful and not just come to work each day. 3. What challenges will this position help the company overcome. Alll companies have challenges. This answer will give you insight into what the company may be facing or if they are expanding, etc. It also shows that you see this as helping them to be successful vs just a paycheck. It may be a time to expand how past experiences and how you helped achieve goals. 4. What skills or experiences would make me a better candidate. Especially important if your resume is limited to several points or one or two jobs. Its a chance to respond with how you know a skill or have an experience from volunteering or you can explain other skills not included in order to keep your resume concise versus several pages long
This is part of the work it daily program which involves coaching and help with resumes, interviews etc. It also stresses the importance of cover letters and how to successfully write them.
A key point that made me think is that athletes are professionals yet they have coaches. Perhaps we can all use a little help.
I am writing my first resume and every word I put down on the page seems like a make or break. I second guess what I write a lot. I must have done like 30 revisions at this point. AHHHHHHHHH!!! Initially I think it takes a very loooong time to write a great cover letter and resume, but after that I am sure it will just be small changes here and there right? Right now it’s just a struggle. How many of you found it stressful to write your resume?
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I hope everyone is having a great summer! Thank you to Jobcasers for giving me a great job!
Let’s face it.. No one likes writing their resume, NO ONE. And sometimes we fall into the habit of putting together a resume in a hurry, and not stopping to take the time to check details like spelling, grammar, formatting, etc. And while you may think that your extensive and impressive work experience is enough to outweigh these types of things, unfortunately it’s not. Your resume is the first representation of yourself that a potential employer sees, this is the first impression you’re making and you want to be sure to stand out from the rest of the resumes on the employer’s desk. Taking the extra minute or two needed to hit the “spell check” button and make the appropriate corrections could make a difference on whether your resume is pulled out of the pile. But by not taking the time to format properly, align fonts, or double check that tenses are written correctly could also land your resume into the “not interested” pile. And please resist the urge to have different colors in your resume. You may think that it would be more visually appealing but, as a recruiter, I find it to be very distracting resulting in it being less likely to be given the same amount of reading time. And just think, if you do it right the first time how much easier it will be going forward when all you’ll have to do is update it with your most recent experience? Make sure you still are paying attention to formatting when making additions. You always want to make sure that it’s cohesive and reads easily. So where do you start? Me personally, I always try to start by making a list (I’m big on “to-do” lists and checklists) of what highlights I am presenting, and what I’m trying to accomplish in writing my resume before sending to an employer. Here’s a start.. Objective (you ideally want this to be tailored towards the type of role you’re applying for) Relevant work experience/timelines Education & coursework Awards or honors Volunteering Features/Skills Benefits Accomplishments Formatting (bullets vs. paragraphs) Given that I’m a recruiter, I am frequently asked to review resumes of friends, family etc. and I agree to do it as long as they’re ok with me making changes or being honest. So lastly, send your resume to someone whose opinion you value and trust (I suggest a former manager, teacher, recruiter, family member or friend) and ask them for honest opinion. But you have to be open to hearing what they’re recommending and not take offense, they’re just trying to help.
Now, get out there and teach our resume the new trick of being a dynamite, standout resume! Here are a few resources for you: https://www.myperfectresume.com/ https://www.resume-now.com/ https://resumegenius.com/ https://www.careeronestop.org/JobSearch/Resumes/ResumeGuide/WritingYourResume/writing-your-resume.aspx https://www.thebalance.com/how-to-write-a-resume-2063336 https://uptowork.com/blog/how-to-make-a-resume https://www.livecareer.com/how-to-write-a-resume https://www.pomona.edu/administration/career-development/how-to/write-a-resume