March 22, 2019
Did you know that 98% of applicants donât even make it to the interview stage? With odds as terrible as these, your job search isnât going anywhere if you focus all of your time on online applications and then sit and wait to be called for an interview. Get your resume past the robots with these simple but effective tips:
1. Tailor your resume to the job.
Itâs a lot of work to update your resume for each job that you apply to, but itâs becoming a necessary stepâespecially if you donât have any connections with someone at the company. Software programs scan your resume to look for keyword matches with the job description and if you donât have a high enough percentage of similar words you wonât show up as a match.
2. Use simple language.
Resume writing is very different from the kind of writing you did in school. Youâre not trying to hit a high word count and you actually want to avoid adding âfluffâ and using big words. Use simple language that gets your point across quickly, ideally with the fewest words possible. Donât make the reader search for your marketable skills and results hidden within lines and lines of text. If you can say it in five words, instead of ten, do it.
3. Choose a simple format and avoid images and non-standard fonts.
A traditional format is still best for most career fields. Online platforms and resume reading software programs donât know what to do with pictures and graphics, and they can even have trouble with non-standard fonts too. If youâre not an artist or a graphic designer, choose a simple template that presents your most marketable and keyword rich skills at the topâideally in a bulleted list, not in paragraph form. The upper half of the page is your âprime resume real estateâ which means that your most relevant content should be in this area.
4. Donât dwell on experience that is not recent.
Focus your energy on your most recent role(s). The further you go back in your work history, the shorter your job history should become. If you have less than eight to ten years of employment to list, you should have a one-page resume. If you have over ten years of experience, you should have no more than a two-page resume. In general, we donât recommend including more than about ten years of work history though because no one is going to spend time pouring over what you were doing 15 years ago, and in some cases this can work against you if youâre targeting an entry-level or even mid-level role.
Do you have a specific question about your job search or career? Ask us your questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. Weâd love to help you find success with your career and/or your job search!
1. Tailor your resume to the job.
Itâs a lot of work to update your resume for each job that you apply to, but itâs becoming a necessary stepâespecially if you donât have any connections with someone at the company. Software programs scan your resume to look for keyword matches with the job description and if you donât have a high enough percentage of similar words you wonât show up as a match.
2. Use simple language.
Resume writing is very different from the kind of writing you did in school. Youâre not trying to hit a high word count and you actually want to avoid adding âfluffâ and using big words. Use simple language that gets your point across quickly, ideally with the fewest words possible. Donât make the reader search for your marketable skills and results hidden within lines and lines of text. If you can say it in five words, instead of ten, do it.
3. Choose a simple format and avoid images and non-standard fonts.
A traditional format is still best for most career fields. Online platforms and resume reading software programs donât know what to do with pictures and graphics, and they can even have trouble with non-standard fonts too. If youâre not an artist or a graphic designer, choose a simple template that presents your most marketable and keyword rich skills at the topâideally in a bulleted list, not in paragraph form. The upper half of the page is your âprime resume real estateâ which means that your most relevant content should be in this area.
4. Donât dwell on experience that is not recent.
Focus your energy on your most recent role(s). The further you go back in your work history, the shorter your job history should become. If you have less than eight to ten years of employment to list, you should have a one-page resume. If you have over ten years of experience, you should have no more than a two-page resume. In general, we donât recommend including more than about ten years of work history though because no one is going to spend time pouring over what you were doing 15 years ago, and in some cases this can work against you if youâre targeting an entry-level or even mid-level role.
Do you have a specific question about your job search or career? Ask us your questions via the online chat tool in the lower left corner of your screen. Weâd love to help you find success with your career and/or your job search!
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