Resume writing isn’t for everyone. In many instances, it may be hard to put an objective view on your own experience and skills. When that happens, you lack insight on what information to customize and highlight on your resume so that it’s most appealing to the potential employer.
If you don’t have the help of a professional resume writer, work with these tips to help you write your resume.
1. Think like the employer.
Many people start resume writing by thinking about what they’ve done and what they have to offer, but a more effective approach is to think like the employer. Understand the employer’s needs first. When you understand what the employer wants, you can customize your information to address it specifically – and that’s how you get to a customized resume.
2. Focus on core skills.
When you know what core skills are important to the employer, you have to write it in a manner that demonstrates you have those skills – offer quantifiable results. Avoid including information that is irrelevant or that doesn’t add value. If you do, it will only dilute your message. For more tips on how to quantify your accomplishments, read “How To Quantify Your Accomplishments On A Resume."
3. Get updated on what’s standard.
Updating the resume on a regular basis is advised whether you’re job searching or not. Unfortunately, not everyone does that. When it comes time to use the resume, it’s all outdated on information and in some cases, even format. For example, if your resume still starts with an Objective statement and ends with “References available upon request,” it needs an overhaul. Today’s resumes need to speak upfront with information on “Here’s what I have to offer you” in a Profile Summary. It tells the employer what the job candidate is good at and offers proof through accomplishments and results upfront.
4. Speak of job duties and results.
Earlier generations of resumes would primarily define job duties held. Then there was the phase of resumes focusing primarily on accomplishments and success on the job (taking out boring language about responsibilities). Today’s resumes need to focus on both because you have employers depending on the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to filter through all the resumes that come in. It’s searching for keywords that relate to the job responsibilities, technical skills, job titles, and more. Of the top resumes the ATS does bring up, only a small quantity gets reviewed by the hiring manager who will look to be impressed by highlights of accomplishments and success. So today’s resumes need to touch on both aspects of job duties and what was achieved on the job.
5. Use the Harvard format.
Present information on the resume for impact with the Harvard format. Leave information on roles and responsibilities in paragraph form and bullet points for achievements and success on the job. Using this format to lay out your information makes it easier for hiring managers to read and find the information they need when reviewing the resume.
6. Get another pair of eyes to review it.
When you write your own resume, you may be spending hours on it that it becomes hard to see obvious mistakes. Always get a few extra pair of eyes to look over it. Silly mistakes are easy to fix, and while they may seem minor, in the eyes of the hiring manager or recruiter it comes off as unpolished and unprofessional. It’s an easy reason to why your resume may get dismissed.
Armed with these tips from a professional resume writer, you’re on your way to producing a polished and effective resume for your job search!
Don Goodman’s firm was rated as the #1 Resume Writing Service in 2013, 2014, and 2015. Don is a triple-certified, nationally recognized Expert Resume Writer, Career Management Coach and Job Search Strategist who has helped thousands of people secure their next job. Check out his Resume Writing Service. Get a Free Resume Evaluation or call him at 800.909.0109 for more information.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.