Are you not getting the positive response you desire from your career resume? Are you struggling to get noticed by the right hiring managers? There could be several reasons for this that you are not aware of because you are not a (1) recruiter or (2) professional resume writer. Don’t beat yourself up! Very often, job seekers have the best of intentions when creating a resume, but they end up with something that lacks that ‘oomph’ that hiring companies are looking for.
The good news is that there are some surprisingly simple ways you can improve your resume right now, for any job you want. In just 4 steps, your resume can become a better representation of your value and career aptitude to potential employers.
#1 – Write a cover letter that rocks
You need a solid introduction when applying for jobs at your caliber. A resume alone is not going to make that happen for you. Create a one-page cover letter that opens up with a proactive greeting, includes 2 sentences that explain your overall career experience and worth, then close with a call to action that prompts the recruiter to call you…like now…yes, now!
#2 – Start with a commanding summary
Now you are ready to make your resume stand out from the competition. Once you have updated your contact information at the top of the resume template, add a Summary statement. In 2 sentences or less, explain what you do and what you bring to the table in terms of your experience and skills. Then, underneath, you will add a bulleted list of your top 3-5 skills, using industry keywords.
#3 – Consider the layout of your resume
The layout of your resume matters, a lot. If you have a lot of career experience, you will want to focus on the top 5 jobs you’ve held in just the last 10-15 years to avoid aging yourself in the career history section. If you have limited experience, then you will list out your skills in place of your career history and include your education and any internships and volunteer work. One format is call chronological, the second is called functional formatting.
#4 – Powerful keywords and content
Remember in #3 when we mentioned the use of industry keywords? Now is the time to pull out the job advertisements and take note of any keywords that stand out for your target industry or jobs. Go back through the body of your resume and either modify or add these keywords so that they make sense. Add at least 2-3 accomplishments under every job you’ve ever held (not the tasks you did there). This can include goals you met, sales you made, improvements you created, and more.
If you are looking for jobs in Troy MI, contact us today.