Hiring companies are generally bombarded with a high volume of applicants when they send out a job posting, so as a result, they only spend an average of 6 seconds perusing your resume. It also doesn’t help that many companies use ATS software or AI Technology, which means sometimes your resume is eliminated without a set of human eyes even glancing at it.
Too often, perfect candidates don’t make it through the initial screening process, simply because their resume didn’t include the right keywords or signals that made the ATS robots believe that they are not right for the job. Here are some ways to ensure your resume reflects your professional experience, stands out, and gets you one step closer to that initial interview with a hiring manager.
Keywords
We can’t stress this enough – keywords are king! Look through the job posting and pick out the primary keywords and phrases that are reflective of the company, job requirements, and highlighted skills. It is generally pretty easy to pick out what buzz words their system might be looking for, but don’t overdo it. It is possible that too many keywords could trigger the system to pass by your resume, or give the impression to the hiring manager that you’re more of a robot than an actual human with personalized work experience.
Customize Your Resume to Fit the Job Description
Declutter your resume and remove any skills, previous jobs, or experience that doesn’t relate to the position you’re currently applying for. Cleaner the better!
Finding ways to tailor descriptions, include company values, and include the necessary skills, will not only get you through the initial scanning process, but will also impress the hiring manager, getting you one step closer to that interview.
Make the Top Third of Your Resume the Strongest
We hate to repeat ourselves, but the objective statement needs to be the first thing that appears with the strongest keywords that you have picked out in the job description. It also needs to make a statement and catch the hiring manager’s eye.
Another important trick is to highlight your most relevant skills, compelling experience, and exciting accomplishments, in this top third area of your resume. Hiring managers spend an average of 6 seconds looking at each resume. Making the top portion the strongest will allow you to stand out amongst the many other candidates in line for the position.
Personalize and Go Beyond the Job Description
It is important to include key elements so that your resume makes it through the approval of the robots, but that doesn’t mean you need to be a robot yourself. Check out the company, do some research, and learn something about the hiring manager. Adding a personal touch, getting creative, and going beyond the limits of the job description will make you stand out amongst equally qualified candidates, and could be the ultimate reason why you get hired for the job.
Looking for a final pair of eyes to look over your resume before you send it in, we are happy to help!
P: 403.264.2242
E: trevor@bullseyerecruitment.com
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