Experience job seekers must overcome these hurdles to write good resume
The biggest hurdles for candidates to wrap their heads around? It’s not Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software or keywords. As a successful professional resume writer who has partnered with hundreds of clients to help them successfully get interviews in less than 60 days, I know there are three hurdles experienced job seekers must overcome to write a successful resume in today’s market.
Many experienced professionals have, thanks to a track record of success, sat tight through the recession. Now they are eager to test the waters.
The biggest hurdles for candidates to wrap their heads around? It’s not Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software or keywords. As a successful professional resume writer who has partnered with hundreds of clients to help them successfully get interviews in less than 60 days, I know there are three hurdles experienced job seekers must overcome to write a successful resume in today’s market.
1. Generalist vs. Specialist
It used to be a manager wearing a multitude of hats who had the competitive advantage, and someone with job function experience could easily jump industries without having worked in that field before.
Furthermore, pre-recession, it was not uncommon for a boss to switch jobs and bring his trusted former employees along without much fuss.
These candidates would not be so lucky today.
Although the recession is thankfully in our rear view mirror, hiring managers remain risk adverse and are more likely to socialize a resume amongst many parties before making an interview or hiring decision.
For this reason, it is critical your resume position you as a specialist or subject matter expert in the area they want filled.
What should you do?
Show them you have the skills they’re looking for and the results to prove it. Ask yourself if you saved time, money, or contributed to growth in any way. If you can put a figure to these responses — you have created a quantifiable result.
2. Shorter Attention Spans
According to a May 2015 Microsoft study, readers’ attention spans are more than 30% shorter today than they were in 2000. When factored in with a 2014 The Ladders study indicating that decision makers spend just 6 seconds looking at your resume, it’s clear time is of the essence and no second can be wasted.
What should you do?
Make an immediate impact by including:
A headline below your contact information that tells the reader the types of roles for which you are well suited
A short branding paragraph below the headline that shows the reader how you are a perfect fit
An eye-catching achievement below each and every job experience
3. Online and Small-Screen Reading
The days of resume reading in print, especially during the early rounds of candidate selection, are for the most part obsolete. Now, it is commonplace for decision makers to review a resume using a mobile device. Making sure your resume is online and small-screen ready can give you an edge over the competition.
What should you do?
Select a sans-serif typography (like Calibri or Ariel), keep your paragraphs to two lines max, and include at least a half-inch of white space between each and every bullet. These small tweaks give your resume its best shot at being engaging and easy to read. Don’t believe it? Run your print vs. online versions past your phone and see for yourself.
Embracing the New Mindset
In today’s market, hiring managers can still afford to be picky. They can (and will) keep on looking until they find the candidate that best suits their needs.
Like it or not, the job landscape has evolved. Embrace it by showing expertise backed up by results, achievements that pop off the page, and documents designed to be read on mobile devices — you will see your interview “dance card” quickly filled.
Source: techgig.com
