Seven Steps to a Better Resume
If you are starting the hunt for a job in Houston, TX, you aren’t alone. You will likely be one of a multitude of applicants interested in the same opportunity. Even within specialized industries that require specific prerequisites that you may posses for qualification, it only takes a moment for a recruiter to scan your resume and make an initial decision. Those critical moments need to be capitalized on in order to make sure you are noticed.
If your goal is to write an eye-catching resume that will get a recruiter’s attention, you should follow the following seven steps:
1. Avoid Using Common Buzzwords
Everyone wants a resume that sounds professional and utilizes words that communicate in a positive and impressive manner. Unfortunately, the trap applicants often fall into is using common catchphrases and buzzwords everyone else in the industry is using. Words like team player, natural leader, and motivated individual are all nice things to say, but not distinctly different from your competition. The goal is to utilize the best keywords in your resume that will break the mold and catch the attention of the recruiter.
2. Your Resume Should Match the Employer
Another common mistake applicants make is to submit the same resume to each application. While the facts about things like your education, accomplishments, and work history may not change, your delivery and the way you frame yourself in the resume could depending on the employer. It is important to create a resume that is custom tailored for each job you apply for. You must put in the time to understand the employer by researching their website and company culture and craft a result to reflect their company.
3. First Impressions Make a Lasting Impression
Professional recruiters sift through stacks of resumes on a daily basis. They make split-second decisions on applicants by briefly looking through the leading section of the resume. The initial information you communicate about yourself on a resume can be the difference between the trash pile or the interview pile. Take time to make sure the leading information on your resume gives detailed and valuable information about your history and skillsets, and communicates them in a way that catches the attention of the recruiter.
4. Be Specific
It is one thing to make broad statements about increasing sales volumes and market share or establishing processes that increased productivity. Vague, broad-sweeping statements, however, do not communicate any specifics to the reader. Instead, it is more notable to call out specific metrics when detailing your past accomplishments. ‘Improving productivity by 15% over the prior year’ tells a recruiter much more about your capabilities than a generic statement.
5. Mind the Gap
Do you have gaps between employment in your resume that are hard to explain? Whether you took a year off to do humanitarian work in another country, left a comfortable job to start your own business, or took time off for school, those periods without employment information must be addressed. Simply leaving a period of time unaccounted for will not go unnoticed, and will raise unneeded questions or concerns. Instead, communicate about those gaps in a creative way that shows the valuable things that came out of that time.
6. Use Similar Language
As we mentioned above, your resume should match the employer you are pursuing. If they utilize certain catch-phrases or keywords in their job description, be sure to incorporate them into your resume. If they chose those keywords to represent their job opening, they most likely are words that resonate with them as a company. Reflecting those same keywords in your resume will communicate cohesiveness between you and the company.
7. Work with a Professional
Even though you are a leader in your field, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are the best one to write your resume. The good news is that there are professional resume writing companies that write resumes for a living and can create a masterpiece for you! USA Resume is a local resume writing company in Houston, TX that employs career resume writers who are masters at their craft. Their free resume review allows you to submit your current resume to a professional resume writer for review. Within a short timeframe, they will review your resume for free and point out any areas for improvement. You can also elect to have one of their professional writers craft your very own professional resume that is sure to pass applicant tracking software and be noticed above all of the rest! In a competitive market, being noticed is the first step towards securing the job, so be sure to take those extra steps to improve your resume.