As a job seeker, you research the most effective methods to try to get a call for an interview. Sometimes you submit an application with the perfect cover letter, great references and top-notch qualifications, but then a resume issue prevents you from getting to the next step.
Perhaps your document fails to communicate that you're the perfect person for the job. Maybe you missed a critical piece of information as you filled out your resume. Check for these five items to see if your resume issue comes from something you might not expect.
1. Telling the Wrong Story
Your resume should show whether you can help a company achieve its goals. Use your cover letter and resume to express how you can benefit the company, not just to show your best features and tell the story of your past employment. Employers tend not to care if you worked for 10 years in a management position. They want to know what you can do for them and not what you need. The fact that you applied for a job obviously reveals the one thing you need - the position for which you applied.
2. Revealing Your Age
Age discrimination is illegal, yet companies tend to hire younger people because they may want workers with more energy and a better grasp of technology. Of course, both of these assumptions about younger workers are stereotypes. However, it's best not to reveal your age, if possible. On your resume, include positions you've held for the past 15 years. Do not list your year of college graduation, either. Make sure your contact email does not show the year of your birth.
3. Failing to Get Past an Applicant Tracking System
Employers use an applicant tracking system, or ATS, to help match the job description's criteria to the information provided on a resume. This computer software finds keywords within a resume and then ranks candidates. Review the job posting and mine the most important keywords from the job description. Place these keywords in your resume in the proper sections, such as duties and responsibilities, to match qualifications in the job description. Fixing this resume issue takes a little extra effort when you examine a company's job posting.
4. Talking About Responsibilities Instead of Accomplishments
One major resume issue occurs when you focus more on your responsibilities with past employers as opposed to your accomplishments. Your accomplishments should include quantifiable information so employers can see precisely how your previous companies benefited from your employment. As an example, say your sales team increased revenue by 10 percent every year under your leadership rather than simply saying you led a diverse sales team for five years.
5. Forgetting to Read the Instructions Carefully
Employers may include special instructions in the job posting, and failing to follow those instructions may disqualify you even though you have great qualifications. Check the formatting instructions for a resume submission in case you need a PDF file instead of a Microsoft Word document. Check to see if you provide answers to specific questions posted within the job listing.
A simple resume issue can be fixed in just a few minutes. Take the time to rectify any of these possible mistakes, and see if you start to get more call backs for interviews.
Photo courtesy of Paul Wagenblast at Flickr.com
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