Two Important Ways to Think About Your Resume

When you're looking for a new job, your resume is the key element in getting you interviews. It either opens doors for you or slams them shut. Step outside the box, and change the way you think about your resume. If you adopt an approach to your resume that takes into account the ways the job search has changed and the way recruiters think about resumes, you're likely to attract more interest.

Think of Your Resume as a Series of Keywords

The ongoing online migration of the job search process has changed the way people post jobs, look for jobs and search for job candidates. It's important to realize that this means your resume also needs to change. Just as websites highlight keywords to attract traffic, your new resume must focus on keywords that pop for an interviewer. Many employers now use applicant tracking systems to pluck potential candidates out of the mass of resumes they receive. HR personnel pick keywords to define a given job's responsibilities, requirements and qualifications. This new technology scans through electronically received resumes, choosing those that show the greatest number of keyword matches. Think about your resume from this point of view as you rewrite it for each job. If you are able to figure out the best keywords for the job you want, tweak your resume to highlight those words to increase your chances of being called.

Think of Your Resume the Way a Job Interviewer Does

In order to present the best resume possible, learn to think about your resume the way a job interviewer does when reviewing it. Remember that job recruiters have very little time to spend on any single resume. This means the most important material needs to be right at the top of your resume where it is easily spotted. Forget about listing jobs chronologically, pointing out your education, or stating your objectives and goals at the top. It's unlikely that these are going to get much attention. Instead highlight the experience or credentials that are key to the specific job you are applying for. Don't waste time detailing education and work experience that is irrelevant to the position. Take a good look at your resume, and try to see how much information you pick up from it in 20 seconds. That's about as much time as a recruiter spends on it, so make sure the key points grab you right away.

As you approach your resume to improve it, plan on doing a brief rewrite for every job. Highlight the specifics that make you stand out as a prime candidate for that unique job. Think about your resume from the perspective of a job interviewer who's looking for specific keywords, and get ready to rewrite your resume to make yourself shine.

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