Generating more interview calls with our Resumes

Often a job seeker sends his or her resume to dozens of recruiters and hiring agents without much success. To remedy this we can implement small changes in the way you write your resume to greatly improve the chances of being called in for interviews

Tailor and Tweak your Resume

Specializing our resume instead of applying for every job that is available with a single general copy. Most of us when looking for jobs fit into multiple industry fields as the average time for a job change is roughly 2.3 times according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While a single resume is better then none, based on your experience and interests, that single copy may hurt you. Read our previous post If you need a detailed guide on how to tailor your resume.

Your Resume should answer why you are a good fit

At the start of the resume, insert the exact title of the position for which the application is being made so that the resume will be processed properly by recruiters and not be lost or misplaced.

The first paragraph should contain information on why you are most suitable for the particular position. This should not exceed more than four sentences, and should not come across as artificial. Managing customer requests satisfactorily, relevant work experience, any training, degree or diploma certification or soft skills such as negotiation / leadership or team building skills may be highlighted.

Check the job listings collected from major job websites and short list the skills that they want which you possess, to create a core competencies section. These should be listed just below the opening paragraph. To make this easily readable, use bullet points or separate lines to highlight each skill. For example a marketing specialist could highlight marketing strategy formulation, preparation of marketing literature like press releases and customer information analytics as his core skills.

Organize work history to increase your chances of getting a job

A resume is a document which markets your skills, experience and qualifications. Based on the position you are applying for, it is advisable to highlight certain relevant positions which you have held and downplay other jobs in the professional experience section of the resume. Information regarding job change or job loss need not be included in the resume. For the professional experience section use the following guidelines.

If the position you are applying to is related to the experience you have, highlight the responsibilities as well as the achievements in the “key accomplishments” section. The position can be used to highlight experience which few possess and soft skills, which are needed for many job openings. These may not be the ideal jobs, so these details can be briefly mentioned.

Prevent Rejection of resumes

Often the resume has certain information which forces the recruiter or hiring agent to reject it, without further consideration. These “red flags” are weak points, which you can mention on your resume, so that it can be controlled. If these are discovered at a later date, it may adversely affect your chances of getting a job.

Some of the major “red flags” which reduce the possibility of being hired are:

• The work history should be linked to the career goal listed in the resume.
• The initial paragraph should form the basis for the rest of the resume.
• The skills and attributes developed for the last few jobs held should be highlighted to show why you are suitable for the job. This is important to establish credibility.
• Any time gap in the resume can be held against you. While a break of two or three months can be ignored, a gap of six months or more has to be explained. This can be done by including a career note in your resume, for the period for which the break was taken. Some of the valid reasons could be training programs, researching new career options, looking after family members or taking a sabbatical to fulfill a personal dream.
• It is important to highlight that you were not doing anything during the career break.
• Lack of relevant educational qualifications and experience. If you are in the process of getting the relevant degree or educational qualification, mention it in your resume, and the date when you are likely to complete the course. This should be sufficient for most job applications.

Please note that sometimes emails get intercepted or diverted, so it is advisable to consider other options for correspondence, maybe picking up the phone could do the trick.
Let me know if you have any questions below, I’m happy to help.

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