Help with Resume Writing: Navigating the Modern Job Market
What are the best tips for writing a resume?
You’ve probably been told; you need to write your own resume. But here’s the thing, recruiters don't read resumes like they used to because computer software has made it automatic to cull the shortlist down from 300 down to 50. There are also so many information sources about candidates that recruiters can use, without your resume, such as LinkedIn, social media, and Google searches. Help with resume writing can be crucial in these situations.
When you’re applying for a job, it is important to have the best resume possible. But many people don’t understand what makes a good resume and how to make their resumes stand out from the crowd. This is where help with resume writing comes in. We hear it all the time. You’ve spent countless hours writing and editing your resume, but it doesn’t seem to be working. Your resume is not getting you the interviews or even ensuring you receive call backs from recruiters. So if you're a job seeker who's looking to stand out from the crowd of applicants, consider hiring a professional help with resume writing instead of taking on this daunting task yourself.
What You Need to Know About Job Searching in 2024
We know how challenging it is to land your dream job in today's tough economy. Today’s job market is competitive, and recruiters are inundated with resumes from qualified applicants. If your resume does not stand out, it will be quickly lost in a sea of other candidates who have more experience and better qualifications than you do. After reading thousands of resumes and hiring hundreds, as well as speaking to other industry recruiters, we know that most applicants are missing at least one key element in their resumes which is keeping them from getting hired for jobs they want.
Is it true that recruiters reject a resume in six seconds?
Yes! With experience in recruitment, I can tell you that I personally have spent less than 6 seconds flicking through resumes. The culling technique that I used, was qualification elimination. I would open the resume, skim directly to the education section. If the resume didn’t have this section, I would close the resume – approx. three seconds tops. If the section was visible, and the qualification wasn’t listed. The resume would be closed, and I would go to the next one. Easily, within 6 seconds. After all, I had hundreds of candidates to choose from and only 10 spots available for interviews. The qualification was also an industry requirement, so it was easy for me to reduce the shortlist with this method. When looking for managers, I gave them about 10 seconds to impress me. Most didn’t make the cut.
According to a recent survey by CareerBuilder, only 1 in 4 employers said they were impressed with a candidate's resume. A whopping 77% of recruiters say they spent less than 30 seconds reviewing each application before deciding whether to move forward. That means if your resume isn't grabbing their attention within 30 seconds, then it's most likely going into the trash pile!
What do recruiters look for in a résumé at first glance?
Recruiters are looking for something that sets you apart from other candidates. They want to see your personality, skills, and achievements in an organised, easy to read format.
As a recruiter, what offends you the most?
We asked this lately of several recruiters in our network. To save yourself the heartache, before sending out your resume, take some time to consider these 3 reasons why making it yourself is hurting more than helping:
- Don’t make your resume look like a birthday invitation. Recruiters want to be able to read your content and they don’t care much for the pretty pictures and squiggly lines. A professional, fresh, and simplistic design with a dash of colour is all you need.
- Use keywords wisely. We can tell when you have tried to overstuff the resume with a ridiculous number of keywords – we get they are important, but if you are tailoring your resume to each job, you don’t need all the keywords from your other 20 jobs cluttering up the space. For one, it looks like a robot wrote it and two, it takes our attention away from the good sources of information.
- Make sure your resume parses the ATS system before submitting it to increase your chances of being called in for interview.
What do recruiters think of using Canva CV templates?
Many job seekers make the mistake of creating their own resume with basic software tools such as Canva which are 100% NOT applicant tracking system compliant! Microsoft Word causes formatting issues if you are not using the latest version of Office365. If you are using a MAC – forget it! Google Docs looks ridiculous when it gets converted to Microsoft Word, which most recruiters use. The DIY approach lacks professional formatting and can lead to mistakes that will keep recruiters from seriously considering your application - even if you have all the right qualifications!
How to Get Your Resume Noticed (And Out of the Trash Bin)
Resumes are a vital part of the job-hunting process. If you’re not getting any calls from recruiters, it may be because your resume is being screened out by the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). ATS software will often read keywords and phrases that are on a resume to determine if someone should make it past the first screening round. Therefore, each resume must be tailored to each position. It also helps if you use numbers when possible; quantifying your achievements make it sound more credible. For example, “I was responsible for contacting X number of customers per day.” As you can imagine, extracting these metrics from your daily duties may not be easy!
How to write a resume to satisfy the ATS?
If your resume doesn’t get past the ATS filter, then it will never even reach a real person who might be able to hire you. So, to increase your chances, look at the job advertisement to give you a clue about the keywords the recruiter may be using. For example, let’s say you were looking for a sales and marketing manager role, you may find terms such as "marketing" or "business development," in addition to more generic ones like “management experience." For these keywords to work, they need to appear in your work experience section, at least once. NOT 10+ times or too frequently enough that it seems spammy.
To create a professional looking resume, one that will get you more interviews faster, The Perfect Resume team is here to help! We want your resume to be noticed in a positive way! So, if you are struggling with your Canva CV template, wondering why you are not getting calls from recruiters, or scratching your head to figure out if your resume parses the ATS, we’ve got answers for you. Send your resume to info@theperfectresume.com.au and our team will review everything about your current document, including formatting and content before providing advice on a few areas where improvements could really improve your chances of being successful in finding new employment opportunities. What is holding you back? Book a consultation today!
