Get resume writing tips and techniques that will help you get more interviews, which will decrease the time it take to get a new job.

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Understanding Applicant Tracking Systems

Question: How do I know if a company uses applicant tracking system software?

More than one-fourth of all companies use some kind of an applicant tracking system to manage applications and candidates, and this number continues to grow. ATS software is more likely to be used in large companies (more than 100 employees) and certain types of industries — technology, healthcare, and government organizations. Unless you’re personally handing your resume to the hiring manager, it’s possible an ATS might be used in the applicant screening process. (And even then, the resume may be scanned in!) When in doubt, submit an ATS-friendly resume. You can always follow-up with a hard copy of a more formatted (non-ATS-friendly) resume or bring the formatted version with you to the interview.

Question: What is an ATS-friendly resume?

An ATS-friendly resume is formatted in such a way that it can be easily imported and read by the ATS. However, because there is no industry standard, the general guidelines are: No charts, graphs, or special formatting. Use only keyboard characters (*, >, /, etc.) to separate information. Save the file in .DOC or .TXT format (do not upload a PDF, RTF, or JPG).

Question: If I’m given the chance to upload my resume or copy-and-paste it in, which should I do?

If you’re given the choice, upload a Word file with your ATS-friendly resume. Larger companies are likely using newer ATS software that will keep formatting mostly intact. For smaller companies, copy-and-paste an ATS-friendly text file into the application form.

Question: How do I know which keywords will be used in the ATS search?

Many times, you can identify the keywords that will be used by reviewing the job posting for the position and job postings for similar roles. Also check out skills and other qualifications in resources like the Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/) and O*Net (www.onetonline.org).

Question: How does the length of the resume fit into this?

Resumes that will initially be screened through an ATS can be longer, because the computer file generally doesn’t show pages, only characters. Some ATS software has character lengths — but you’ll generally only see that if the resume is copied-and-pasted into an online form. In those instances, it will list a character limit (for example, “Submissions are limited to 20,000 characters.”). But not many systems have that limitation.

Question: How can I bypass the ATS?

Remember: People hire people. Ultimately, if you can get your resume in the hands of the hiring manager, recruiter, or company owner directly, you don’t have to worry about making it out of the applicant tracking system in order to get an interview. Research shows that approximately 75 percent of jobs are never formally advertised or posted, and only about 5 percent of candidates are hired from job postings. So focus on getting your resume to the right person in order to land an interview. It’s especially important to bypass the ATS if you don’t have the “perfect” qualifications, as outlined in the job posting.

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What You Should Do With Your Life?

Job satisfaction: We all want it, but we’re not exactly sure how to secure it.
That’s because we believe our satisfaction is dependent on factors we don’t control, like the work balance at our current company, or the specific tasks our supervisors delegate to us. And while it is true that some of the job satisfaction factors are outside our control, that doesn’t mean we have no control at all!
Not satisfied in your job? Here’s a quick exercise many career coaches use to help you get to the core of what it is you should be doing with your life:
What Drives You?
1. What did you dream about doing when you were a kid?
2. What would you do if you didn’t have to worry about making money?
Make a list of the above. You should start to see commonalities in terms of general skills. It should come as no surprise, but those general skills will probably be related to your biggest strengths.
What Are Your Natural Talents?
1. What do people most appreciate about you and what you do?
2. What are the unique skills you have that people comment on at work or at home?
3. What areas do you excel in? For example, are you always being thanked for your insight, objectivity, organizational skills, etc.?
What Are Your Work Values?
1. What do you value in your work?
2. Do you appreciate the ability to work independently, or is a team environment something you value more?
3. Do you prefer constantly learning new skills, or do you value having the opportunity to really fine-tune one skill?
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Your combined answers to the questions above can guide you in your job search and will help you figure out if you’re on the right path or way off course.
The good news is that even if you discover you’ve gone astray, you’ll now have a roadmap to get you back on track.

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What Gets Your Resume to the Hiring Manager?

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Many companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to sort through resumes and streamline their hiring process. These systems scan resumes for keywords which are inputted into for specific hiring positions. Then, resumes are scored on a range of 0 to 100 for relevance. Only the resumes with the best scores are handed down to recruiters.
The main point from these details is that the best choice of keywords will ultimately function as the deciding factor on whether you advance in the job searching process.
Here are a few recommendations on ways to tweak your resume so that it reaches the hiring manager.
 
What is a keyword?
A keyword is just a specific word or phrases used to get the ideal candidate for a position. Each industry and profession has their very own set. In the same way you would like the absolute most relevant search results returned whenever you type a question into Google; the hiring manager doesn’t wish to sift through hundreds or thousands of resumes to find the couple of people he or she really desires talk to.
If you are a sales manager seeking a position as sales and marketing director, you should find keywords that connect with that position. It will be expected that phrases such as for example “implements strategic marketing plans”, and “analyzes and controls expenditures” cover your resume.
Just keep in mind, keywords could be nouns, adjectives or short phrases, in addition to describing unique skills, abilities or experiences. Be creative, but be smart and thoroughly understand the profession you’re applying for.


Why do you need to have keywords?

Many companies use keyword-searchable databases that quickly scan resumes for words linked to the job positions they’re hiring for. Actually almost 80% of companies, both big and small, are utilizing these databases!


How do you find these keywords?

You can find multiple places where you are able to find keywords necessary for your resume to stand out. Reviewing job postings along with your desired title as well as searching the Dictionary of Occupational Titles is useful. It may also be wise to consider getting your resume done professionally; resume writers know the keywords to use to get you noticed.


Where should keywords be located?

Your keywords should be in bold and there must be approximately 25 keywords through your resume. By having these keywords in the top third of one’s resume, you significantly elevate your odds of attracting employers’ interest in your candidacy.
Again, if you wish to know those that are essential for your requested position, as well as positions of the past, look-up job postings and resumes of others which have had the same titles as you. Better yet find a resume writer and career coach who can do it for you.
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More Than 50% of Employers Have Found a Resume Lie — These Are Some of the Most Memorable

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Dusting off your resume to begin the search for a new job ought to be reasonably simple: Update your professional experience, make certain the format is clean and easy to read, and double-check that you haven’t claimed to possess 10 years of experience as an expert driver when you’ve only had your license for four.
A CareerBuilder survey in excess of 2,000 full-time hiring and HR managers found that a massive 70% of employers cast their gaze over a resume for less than five minutes. Sound brief? Half actually spend less than two minutes.
But even in that small window, hiring managers identify resume errors, inaccuracies, and fabrications frequently–56% report having caught an outright lie. As we’ve reported before, {the most the most frequent falsehoods making their way onto CVs are, understandably, amplified skill sets and responsibilities, but many applicants go as far as to fudge job titles, dates of employment, and companies worked for.
One hiring manager recalled the job seeker who listed the role of CEO of the company where they were interviewing as one of their former positions. Another applicant claimed to be fluent in two languages, one of them being pig Latin (Eemssay unlikelyway.)
Other applicants falsely claimed achievements which were easy enough to verify. One counted a Nobel Prize among all of their honors, another reported having graduated from a college that didn’t exist.
So remember to always be truthful on your resume, even though it does not seem that impressive to you.  As you still have a much better chance obtaining a job then the one who has lied, once the lie is discovered they will not be hired.  So be proud of yourself and the accomplishments you have now as you grow and learn more.
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Differences Between Federal and Corporate Resumes

Have you ever wondered why we need different resumes for Business and Government Jobs?  if so check out this site to find out the differences.  Click Here!

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4 Ways to Take Your Resume From “Good” to “Great”

What really makes a great resume for today’s job market?The use of a branding statement, a tag line or two, relevant keywords/key phrases, and a situation/action/results writing style can actually increase the return of your resume. Let’s review why each are increasingly important for job seekers competing in today’s highly competitive job market.
 
1. Branding Statement
Personal branding is hot – very hot! Once paralleled with top business professionals such as Bill Gates, Donald Trump, and let’s not forget Oprah, personal branding strategies are now applied to job seekers. Branding is not made up of one thing, but of many. According to Wikipedia.org, personal branding “is not limited to the body, clothing, appearance and knowledge contained within, leading to an indelible impression that is uniquely distinguishable.”
Can branding techniques be used for job search purposes? Absolutely. Start by using a branding statement within your resume. Typically a one or two-liner, a branding statement could be an umbrella statement relative to the broadness and depth of you.
To develop a branding statement, take your 15-second elevator pitch and rework it to include key points relevant to talent recruiters. For those who don’t have an elevator pitch, write a short paragraph (4-5 sentences) about your professional career and value. Then, boil the paragraph down to a couple of sentences. Lastly, fine-tune the statement until it contains the exact wording that helps sell you to the hiring community.
 
2. Using Tag Lines
If a branding statement as a book title, a tag line would be the subtitle.
Tag lines are terrific, enabling those who review your resume to immediately see your value… all from a mere skim. Oh sure, resume management systems are certainly ruling the roost when it comes to resumes these days, but real people are actually out there reviewing soft and hard copy resumes, so definitely write your resume for those pesky RMS systems, and don’t forget about the human beings, too.
Taking a variety of forms, tag lines can be a group of keywords or a sentence fragment. The first example tag line below (Award-Winning Designs – Community Project Lead – Travel Internationally) was perfect for this client. She was targeting a high-end, executive role for a major community development company with project interests on a national and international level. Certainly we could have included this information within the intro statement, or elsewhere, but a more strategic placement adds visual interest and introduces a bit more white space to attract readers’ eyes.
My favorite use of tag lines is to include a quick “content snapshot” where you would otherwise see blank space. For example, readers would learn this individual is a turnaround expert by simply reading the resume; but honestly, who reads an entire resume these days?
Tag lines are another way for readers to quickly learn more about you and what you have to offer, putting you one step closer to being called for an interview.
 
3. Keywords & Key Phrases
Want to know an insider’s secret to identifying ideal keywords and key phrases for your resume? Print those ideal job ads and get out a highlighter. Highlight job tasks, concentrating on nouns/actions. Then, cross-reference the highlighted keywords against your resume. Is there an important keyword (skill) missing from the resume? Does the resume need a bit more tweaking to accommodate more relevant keywords and key phrases? Sometimes a job description is filled with poppy-cosh, and by focusing primarily on those specific skills (keywords), you’re somewhat getting rid of the “content fat,” enabling you to see what’s ultimately important to the hiring company.
 
4. Situation/Action/Results (SAR) Writing Style
A SAR writing style introduces achievements into a resume, adding numbers and percentages to add visual breaks in text for readers’ eyes… it’s that simple. Hiring managers and recruiters love achievements within a resume because each represents an action and result on the part of the candidate.
Introduce more achievements into your resume by focusing on your specific job area, department, or the company as a whole. Think about situations you faced during your tenure, how you responded, and the results from each action. Did you increase sales? Save the company money? Cut dependency on a specific resource? If you weren’t in a lead/management role, maybe you assisted a team with achieving a sales goal or securing that million-dollar client.
Some actions seem small, but in the end, may have resulted in a big impact. For example:
 
Provided extensive team support during the development and integration of a new incentive program offered to the SE sales team; program added $3.2 million in new sales and was later introduced to other US-based territories.
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If you are worried about writing a résumé, or struggling with the task, you’re not alone! Are you looking to change fields or just give your résumé some more meat?  Research suggests that your résumé has less than 20 seconds to make the right impression, so it must be eye-catching and easy to read. Click here to register!
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