Does landing that hot job top your New Year’s resolutions list for 2016? For many employers and varying businesses, the year can bring with it fresh budgets and new positions to offer to the job market. In a fast-paced world where competition is becoming more-and-more stiff, it’s best to start preparing now. Hiring especially picks up after the holidays and we want you to stay abreast on what exactly employers are gunning for this season.
Before your resume reaches a recruiter, it’s important to know that most applications have to make it through a tracking system of some kind. With applicants increasing in numbers, hiring managers generally only take a six-second glance at resumes. Now, that’s a very limited time frame for you to get noticed. Here’s how to make your prospective needle shine amidst the haystack of electronic applications out there.
1. Make that shit look good.
I’m not saying a complete visual overhaul of formatting here. Unless you’re entering the field of Graphic design, try to keep your resume as tailored and clean as possible.
Your primary concern here is making your CV easy to read. A style-over-substance approach could cause an employer to overlook you. Ditch the traditional Times New Roman font and go for something less blocky such as Garamond, Georgia, Cambria or Calibri.
2. Mind how much contact info you’re giving away.
A lot of people don’t realize this, but providing your entire email address to an employer could put you at risk of identity theft. Try hyperlinking your email. This will secure your account a bit more and provide an easy for your employer to access and contact you, directly.
As well, keep your living address slim. Simply include just your city, state, and zip. Be sure to share your Linkedin profile link (if you have one) or any other applicable social media accounts.
3. Get rid of the objective statement, already.
In an increasingly diverse job market, recruiters are less concerned over your objectives and are instead looking more at what transferable skills you have and what you’ve accomplished. They’re ultimately looking for the right hire.
Start with a strong but short summary of your professional experience and achievements. Present yourself with a header that highlights your field of expertise.
4. Sell yourself!
Don’t just lists of dull responsibilities, take the time to show you’re an asset but highlighting what you’ve achieved in past positions. If you’re salesman, include some sales figures. Own a blog? Share a link to it.
Hard evidence of work is a great way to go about it. A graphic artist, photographer or writer, for instance, should provide samples or include a portfolio of some kind.
5. Use the right words!
Referring back to application tracking systems, some employers search for keywords to weed out certain candidates. I strongly suggest using words from the job description you’re reviewing. A simple change from “client service representative” to “customer relations specialist” can make or break you.
Try generating a word cloud! There are many of them out there such as Wordle.net. Just simply copy and paste a job description and you’ll have a generated cloud of power words, active verbs, and industry terms and/or acronyms to include in your CV.
Featured image courtesy of http://www.bamboo-gvn.org
Michael D. Selvia 