ALT-2 Resume
It has been all over the media; and, it is not new news that it is harder to find a job these days. It takes a person about six months to a year, if they are lucky, to find a job. Frustration is a common feeling when job hunting and this would be a good time to start making some changes, especially to that first impressible document that we all like to call résumé.
Your thoughts are that you have added “action” words, checked the spelling and the grammar, you even ensured that you have a consistent format but let me remind you that there is always room to make some changes. Besides, your résumé might benefit from one of the following points:
If your résumé has an adjective make sure that it addresses the employers need. Most people over emphasize what they are looking for in a job rather than the skills and talent they have to offer to the employer. A good example of overemphasizing is “To find a position in public relations that will allow me to further my communications career and develop my skill set.” To catch a hiring personal’s attention by the first sentence, change it to “To fit a company through my extensive network of press contact, 10 years of copywriting experience and demonstrated ability to successfully pitch stories to the media.”
In your résumé, what should stand out are the accomplishments you accomplished on your current or previous job not the duties you performed. You can list some duties as accomplishments if you state how you met or surpassed the goal of the assignment.
Try keeping your skills up to date. If one of your jobs is about ten years old opt not to put it in since technology and many procedures may not be relevant to the job you are applying for now.
Some job applications have an interest section. Usually those sections are space-fillers for the company. Your résumé has to look professional and thus you should not write down any skills that are irrelevant on your professional look.
Now a ‘days everything is done over the internet so it is no surprise that applying for a job is also done online. Recruiters often use software that scans submitted résumés for important words and job functions. Like any online search, if your résumé does not have those keywords it will appear at the bottom of the pile or not at all.
Make it easy for hiring managers to skim your résumé for those qualities that relevant to the position. A way you can do that is by bolding important qualities such as skills, honors, and experiences. Do not go crazy bolding the whole resume just because you think that your entire resume is relevant to the position you are submitting your résumé to.
Make sure that you also have a resume that is just in plain text. Some hiring managers prefer that type of résumé. Good luck and happy job hunting.
