Be in the Top 3% of Candidates to Land an Interview

With the right approach, you can be in the top 3% of candidates who land an interview. Learn how to stand out from the competition and increase your chances of success.

How to be in the Top 3% of Candidates Who Land an Interview!

The job market at the moment is extremely competitive. With high unemployment rates and a low number of jobs being advertised, it's now more important than ever before to ensure that your resume will make it easy for you to land an interview.

Here are some ways you can ensure you are within the Top 3% of candidates who land an interview: 

Ensure your resume is optimised for ATS parsing.

Resume parsing is an automated process which means your resume is read, pulled-apart and essential information such as your work history, qualifications, keywords and contact details etc are recognised and stored appropriately in the ATS candidate database.

Some key tips to ensure your resume makes it through the ATS cull;

• Select the right file type for your resume. It is best to use plain text, google or a word or pdf document. Do not be tempted to use images or fancy software.
• Optimise your resume with keywords. For example, the words used in the job title of the Advert you are applying for. Think about the frequency, as well as the placement of these keywords throughout your resume.
• Avoid images, charts, and other graphics. While these may look funky, they may confuse the parsing technology, and it won’t help you.
• Customise your resume to the job description and to each specific job, boosting appropriate keywords for example.

What is the Applicant Tracking System (ATS)?

The ATS will screen all candidates and rank them for the recruiter who is managing the hiring process. How do you get to the top 3% of the candidate list to land an interview? Yes, you need the skills and experience of course, but you can ensure you get that little advantage by making sure you;

• Reference the keywords within the job description as many times in your resume as possible without keyword stuffing. This will contribute to your score in the ATS. The higher your score, the higher the likelihood you will be called for an interview.
• Emphasise your longevity in relevant roles, making sure to put the jobs you’ve worked in most recently as high up in your resume as possible.
• Make sure sought after keywords appear in your resume job title. The more recent, the better.

Extra stuff that Recruiters look out for.

• Spelling, grammar, font size consistency. Yes, it does count against you. 
• Incorrect or missing contact details. 
• Unprofessional email address. 
• Irrelevant or outdated information. 
• Failure to demonstrate and quantify results.
• No document longer than 2 pages or three for an Executive. 
• Stick to simple bullet points – not too many though, and not big chunks of text
• Match your resumes target job title to the job listing
• Tailor your skills to match the key terms in the job description
• Always write a tailored cover letter

Would you like some advice on your resume? Email your current resume to info@theperfectresume.com.au. We can review it for you, provide some feedback and increase your chances of landing an interview! Click here to learn more.