The most important document in the job-hunting process is your resume. It not only shows your relevant work experience, but it also highlights the reasons why human resources should hire you. A lot of jobseekers do not realize the true power of this document, and fail to optimize their chances of landing jobs. With a few simple tweaks, the job opportunities will start flowing in. It’s all about having a job seeking strategy.
Keyword Optimization
When you are creating a resume, it should be catered to each individual job listing. Sure it takes time to change your resume, but it’s a step that’s completely worth the effort. If you are finding your listings online, it’s likely that multiple qualified candidates are applying for the same job. As a result, human resources uses software to sift through resumes fast and efficiently. Take advantage of this step. Pick out the most important keywords from each job listing and add them into your resume. Phrase each former position in the most relevant way possible. By doing so, you instantly move your resume to the top of the pile. Also include as many of these keywords as possible in your cover letter.
Be Specific
A lot of people draft their resumes without being specific enough. Vague and broad descriptions of past employment should be avoided at all costs. Adding specific and interesting information will catch the eye of human resources. Take these two examples:
1.) Managed freelance employees.
2.) Managed, organized, and developed three freelance specialists.
Option 2 is more specific and descriptive. It will likely catch the eye of human resources more effectively than option 1. Go back through your work experience sections and make the appropriate adjustments. Just make sure you are balancing concise statements with being too verbose. Find the middle ground.
Objective
The objective comes at the beginning of your resume and should always be catered to the listing. Make it clear that your long-term goals are in line with the career opportunities that the company has to offer. Even if the jobs are similar, you should always craft a new objective. Every company will require a slightly different objective. This is a part of your resume that should be helpful in furthering your chances of landing the job, but more often than not potential employees ignore this step. Don’t make that mistake.
Use a Template
Depending on the size of the company, it’s likely that human resources could be reading hundreds of resumes or more every month. The more competitive the position, the deeper they will dive into the pile of potential applicants. A wise idea is to use a resume template. You might have your own crafty design, which is great, and sometimes it can make you stand out from the pack. But using a template is a great idea for the majority of Americans who are not experts at formatting word documents. Templates give you a great blueprint, and will make your resume look incredibly professional. There are some great templates out there, so pick the one you like the best and get to work!
Matthew Welch
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i am looking for employment, i need help with cover letter and resume.
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