Do you know what happens to your resume once you send it through? It goes to HR. Do you know what a day in HR is like? Their day is filled with resume reviews (hundreds of resume reviews), phone calls, voicemails and e-mails. Then there are inquiries from the ‘Account Manager’, “Where are the resumes? It has been over a day now since you got that request. We need to fill this position ASAP.”
Just like your hunt for the right job gets tough, HR has their own battles with finding the right person for the job. With hundreds of resumes coming in every day, you can imagine it’s probably really hard to go through all of them. Now, the way they go through these resumes varies from person to person, but one thing is almost certain, they are all looking for that one resume that stands out from everyone else’s. That’s the one they want to read. That’s the person they would want to move forward with. When you send in a resume, you want the person assessing to want to have a conversation with you; that’s what makes the process faster and puts you in front of the line.
How do you make a resume that stands out?
Design. You’re most likely not a designer and have no idea what “kerning” means or how much white space is needed, but that doesn’t mean you just slap your details onto a blank page in black and white, right? The best way to invite somebody to read your book is by having a solid front cover. Once they see something interesting, they’re trapped into reading it through. Having a well-designed resume also shows you’re keen on making things look presentable, no matter what it is. Check out these examples here
Pay attention to the job description. Once you’ve trapped them into reading your resume you have to make sure the content of your resume is as good as the layout. It’s most important to have a resume that speaks directly to the job description and gets rid of all the irrelevant details. Tailor your resume to the job description. In the end, all their looking for is a resume that checks all their boxes, i.e., requirements for the job to see if you qualify.
Keywords. Using words peculiar to the position you’re applying for is an excellent way to get all their attention. They go through so many resumes in a day; they already know what they’re looking for on a resume so give it to them! If you don’t know what the right keywords are, the job description has it all, read it carefully. Don’t assume it’s a standard job description and skim through it as everybody tries to sell their job differently.
To conclude, if sending applications online hasn’t been working as well for you, that’s okay because there are other ways to reach out to hiring managers; reach out to them directly. This might require a lot of additional research, like looking them up on LinkedIn. If you reach out to them directly, there’s a better chance for you to tell them your story through the initial email, which might open more doors.
Last but not the least, reach out to us at Peoplesource! We are the experts in permanent and temporary recruitment for skilled professionals. We personally meet with each and every candidate to discover the unique offering they bring to the job market providing candidates who seek a clear path to achieve their career goals and connect them with the right opportunity and jumpstart their career.
