I get a resume-related question at every job search workshop I lead. What can I put in the resume to guarantee an interview? How do employers decide who to invite from the resume pile? What keywords can I use to make my resume stand out online?
I get a resume-related question at every job search workshop I lead. What can I put in the resume to guarantee an interview? How do employers decide who to invite from the resume pile? What keywords can I use to make my resume stand out online?
There is no magic bullet. What you put in a resume needs to be two things:
1) authentic and true to you; and
2) tailored to the employer you are targeting.
As you can see, these two attributes are different for everyone. Furthermore, even for one person, there may be a case for different resumes if the person is targeting very diverse employers.
The best way then to ensure your resume is seen is not by perfecting your resume, but by perfecting your job search. The best job search is proactive, so you are out in the market meeting people and talking to people. Your resume is one part of that campaign (resumes do lead to meetings) but never the only part. In fact, sometimes the best job leads result from a verbal pitch, and the formal resume is an after-thought after you have already started meeting with people.
So the best way for your resume to be seen is for you to be seen. Make sure the resume is a powerful and accurate depiction of your background, skills and experience. Use language and examples that engage your target sector. But do not rely on your resume for the heavy lifting in your job search.
Is Your Job Search Flexible or Just Unfocused?
As a recruiter, I’ve seen lack of flexibility on the recruiting side with employers clinging to every last detail in their ideal spec while perfectly good candidates get overlooked. As a career coach, I see jobseekers prematurely dismissing possible targets waiting for that perfect job. It’s true that you want to be focused in your job search (otherwise you dilute your efforts and come across as scattered and possibly desperate).
5 Questions to Test If Your Resume Is Recruiter-Proof
After recruiting in search and in-house for over ten years, I have read thousands of resumes. Due to sheer volume of resumes received and all the other things that vie for the recruiter’s attention in the hiring process – scheduling, interviewing, networking, reference checks, client debriefs, and more – the resume review process is ruthlessly quick.
Why Conventional Wisdom On Work Flexibility Is Always Wrong
In a previous post, I wrote about why employment statistics are always wrong. In a similar way, conventional wisdom on work flexibility is always wrong. It is impossible to generalize something that is inherently case-by-individual case. Therefore, any boilerplate advice or conventional wisdom is bound to omit a key consideration, underweight or overemphasize other considerations, or take too long-term or short-term of a view.
