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5 Ways to Get Your Resume Read!

A resume has one primary purpose – to secure interviews.

How can you create a strong resume that garners attention from hiring personnel and gets your foot in the door? Beyond the basic tips you’ve likely already heard about (customize the resume carefully for every job… keep content sharp and succinct…and be meticulous with spelling and format), here are 5 big considerations to support resume success.

1. Understand the “science” behind how a resume is read

Human readers and computer screeners are both used to dissect and analyze resumes, yet both can qualify content uniquely.  Applicant Tracking Systems (or ATS) are used by most major organizations to screen out candidates who lack the required skills for the job.  Yet these systems can be tricky to ‘overcome’ if your resume is not ATS-compliant.

HR personnel and recruiters also use a discerning eye to critique resumes in order to select interview candidates. What exactly are human and computer readers searching for?  Well, according to a recent analysis of 4000 job applications by TalentWorks, there are 13 key factors that drove up interview rates of applicants.  Several major resume tips taken from this article include:

  • Every 3 sentences, use at least 1 number to demonstrate your (concrete) impact. Folks who did that saw gain a +40.2% boost over their competition.
  • Incorporate 1-2 leadership-oriented words every 5 sentences. Job applicants who used strong, active, leadership-words saw a +50.9% boost over the competition.
  • You should add 15-20 skills, buzzwords, acronyms, etc. to your resume. This is associated with a +58.8% boost in hireability on average.
  • Describe your job achievements with different action verbs. This one resume tip is associated with +139.6% boost in getting more interviews.
concrete-numbers-resume-tip-1

Courtesy of TalentWorks

 

 

2. Take the road less traveled

Recognize that resumes are not just meant for online applications.  That’s right – you should diversify your job search tactics to increase resume success.  Job boards offer a much lower ROI because you are competing with the masses. Referrals and networking are rising as the top job search strategies. According to this study by Jobvite:

“Job boards have a .4% effectiveness and employee referrals have 5.2% effectiveness. In other words, an applicant has over 13X better chance of getting the job than applying through a job board.”

Jobvite survey

Courtesy of Jobvite

 

Additional emphasis comes from a survey from Lee Hecht Harrison:

The reality is that most job openings are never advertised or posted, which means tapping your network is an essential job search resource to uncover hidden opportunities. In fact, 63 percent of job seekers land new jobs through networking.”

3. Qualify advice carefully and keep up with evolving trends

If you want resume tips ‘straight from the horse’s mouth’, align yourself with experts who know resumes and job search strategies the best. Your friends, parents, and colleagues may have lots of opinions to share, but unqualified advice can be more harmful than helpful.

A great starting point is to follow resume thought leaders (career coaches, resume writers, and HR personnel) on social media.  These experts have their finger on the pulse of resume trends and will keep you up to speed on new developments and best practices.

Need some resources to help?  Connect with these Top 15 Career Coaches and Job Search Experts on LinkedIn for regular tips on all aspects of the job search, including resumes.  Or follow these Top 50 Twitter Accounts for Job Search.  Full transparency, I’m on both of these lists and darn proud to be included with these top pros and peers:

Top 15 Accounts on Linkedin

Courtesy of Jobscan

 

4. Modernize the look and be original

You can’t expect to stand out in a stack of resumes that all look the same. While considering the unique needs of each audience, employ design tactics to guide the reader’s eye and draw attention to important career impacts.

Visual resumes are written for people, not machines, so save your design resume for modern job search tactics like referrals and networking (not online applications).  More on this in point #5 below.

What do recruiters think about the actual LOOK of a resume?  In this Jobscan article a recruiter emphasizes the importance of resume presentation and how professionally written resumes stand out:

package it in a way that blows everyone else out of the water… the resumes that really capture these facts about the executive have been professionally written by a marketing professional (or professional resume writer).”

Similarly, during a recent conference a Recruitment Supervisor shared that when it comes to resumes, demonstration of skill – in alignment with the role requirements – is what matters most.  YET she loves and appreciates beautiful design, so if you can pair stellar content with creative presentation in your resume, even better! Want to see resumes that pack a bit of punch?  View award-winning samples, like the ones below, on Career Impressions website.

Blog Image Resume Design

Courtesy of Career Impressions

 

5. Follow job application instructions – fully!

I am hearing time and time again from recruiters and HR folks that job seekers are bypassing critical job application instructions. Bad idea.

If you want your resume and job application to be taken seriously – and be read – you need to comply with the employer’s application requests and guidelines. If they ask for a cover letter with your resume:  include one! Even better, customize it!  If they request a copy of your resume be submitted in Word (versus PDF): do it!  Their system may not be able to read other formats.

Want to hear what happens when you don’t follow instructions (and learn why employer’s make unique application requests)?  Adam Czarnecki, an HR professional, shares a comprehensive breakdown of this topic in a recent YouTube video, in response to this LinkedIn post:

AdamAdam’s video below is well worth the watch to learn how you can be de-selected for an interview by not following application requirements:

In addition, research by an HR outplacement and consulting firm reveals that:

Failure to meet job requirements is the most common error of job applicants… Delivering what a recruiter is looking for at both the resume submission and interview stage is crucial to securing that great new job.”“Meanwhile, where candidates do actually have the right skills for the job, badly constructed resumes seem to be at play. Our research shows many job hunters fall victim to focusing on recording general tasks they have completed in their career to date, but not using such experience to illustrate achievements and results”.

Leverage the 5 insights, tips, resources, and recommendations shared above to boost the value of your resume, ensuring it not only resonates but gets into the hands of hiring authorities to be read!


 

Resource Links:

The Best Executive Resumes According to Executive Recruiters (Jobscan):  https://www.jobscan.co/blog/best-executive-resumes-executive-recruiters/

In Hiring, a Friend in Need Is a Prospect, Indeed (New York Times): http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/28/business/employers-increasingly-rely-on-internal-referrals-in-hiring.html

Job Seekers: 12 Things that Recruiters are Looking For Right Now (HR Bartender): https://www.hrbartender.com/2018/recruiting/12-things-recruiters-want-right-now/

Top 15 Career Coaches and Job Search Experts to Follow on LinkedIn (Jobscan): https://www.jobscan.co/blog/job-search-experts-to-follow-on-linkedin/

Job Seeker Nation Study 2017 (Jobvite): https://www.jobvite.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017_Job_Seeker_Nation_Study.pdf

Hiring Managers Reveal the Secrets of Success to Job Seekers (Lee Hecht Harrison): https://www.lhh.com/about-us/press-room/2016/hiring-managers-reveal-the-secrets-of-success-to-job-seekers-in-new-lee-hecht-harrison-research

Top 50 Twitter Accounts To Follow for Job Search 2018 (Career Sherpa): http://careersherpa.net/top-50-twitter-accounts-to-follow-job-search-2018/

Adrienne Tom

Looking to get noticed for top jobs? I can help. Visit me online at CareerImpressions.ca to learn more about my award-winning resume and LinkedIn writing services that helped C-suite executives, VPs, and directors land top jobs at billion-dollar companies, start-ups, and everything in between. ⚜ 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱. Everyone has value to offer employers. But conveying this story in a modern, succinct executive resume isn’t easy. I can do this for you. ⚜ 𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 ‘𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲’. I'm often told that my process is as valuable as the final documents. People feel more empowered and confident after our work together. ⚜ 𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸. I hear amazing success stories from my clients. For 15+ years, I have written hundreds of executive resumes and LinkedIn profiles that generated increased recognition and escalated earning power for my clients.

2 Comments

  1. Christopher Mann on May 26, 2018 at 12:50 am

    I can not recommend more strongly that anyone preparing a reassume for a job search take this advice serious. I know first hand what happens to those who do not know what ATS will do to you if you don’t. After 19 job applications with not even a “thanks but no thanks” reply. It was radio silence and emotionally stressful. I decided to hire I a professional to help and that’s when I heard about the ATS. The fact that I had a header cause the system to read it as an error and discard it. I didn’t even make it to the starting line. The job hunt is no longer what it use to be. It would best to accept it, and get the tips and tricks right on how to leverage the best outcome when you go head to head with the ATS.

    • Adrienne Tom on May 26, 2018 at 10:29 am

      Thank you for sharing your experience Christopher. You share an important point – the job search landscape has changed a lot in recent years and it can be very challenging for job seekers. Luckily, as you mentioned, there are many qualified professionals to help! All the best.

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