When the job market is flooded with candidates, it's an uphill battle just to get your foot in the door, and a killer professional resume helps you stand out from the crowd. Whether you're applying to small companies with personal review processes or large corporations that use automated software, a strategically designed resume increases your chances of making it through to the next stage.
1. Use Relevant Keywords
The internet is an indispensable part of a modern job search, so keywords are crucial. The right words and phrases can help get your professional resume in front of employers, whether it's posted on LinkedIn or passing through a company's online application system. Start with general keywords, such as the industry name, your desired position title and your university name. Look through job postings for your dream jobs, and find common words that describe desired skills, software and experience. Before you submit a resume online, add keywords that are tailored to the company and the specific job opening.
2. Write Specialized Content
Job postings tend to attract candidates with similar education and work experience. To distinguish yourself, use your professional resume to show off the things that make you the best hire. Possibilities include certifications, experience with specialized equipment or unusual job duties. Don't forget about things from your personal life that might be an asset to the open position, such as managing the social media presence for a large community organization or serving as the volunteer coordinator for your church. If you can't think of anything, set yourself apart by avoiding cliches, including quantifiable accomplishments, and describing your work experience in specific, original words.
3. Make an Internet-Friendly Resume
Search engine bots and resume-scanning software programs look at content, not formatting. In fact, objects like tables and headers can confuse the system and prevent your professional resume from moving on. A simple text-based resume is an easy solution. When using an online application system, paste your resume text into the box rather than uploading a PDF or Word document; you can always provide the employer with a more aesthetically pleasing version later on. When posting your resume online, consider using both a formatted PDF and a text file.
4. Choose a Format That's Easy to Scan
When your professional resume makes it through a computer system and in front of an employer, the design becomes an important factor. Busy hiring managers don't have time to read through dense paragraphs of text — make their lives easier by choosing a simple, easy-to-scan format. Place your most relevant qualifications and experiences near the top of the page. Then, break up long entries using bulleted lists; the most important words should appear near the beginning of each list item. Use indented blocks of text to create a clear information hierarchy, with the crucial information placed nearest the left margin. Finally, use bold and italic font treatments to draw attention to key details.
Getting your professional resume in front of employers is a time-consuming — but essential — part of the job search process. A sharp, tailored and internet-optimized resume is more likely to get noticed, helping you get to the interview stage in less time.
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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