Job Search Blog

Help the reader and the ATS software find the skills they’re looking for. What may seem obvious to you, isn’t to a computer or person not familiar with your industry. If the job listing mentions Excel, for example, have it in at least one spot on your resume. But, if it’s looking for “experience with spreadsheets,” use that exact wording too.

It’s man versus machine when it comes to Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software. This is a program that searches your resume for keywords that match the job description. There are ways to game the system by packing your resume with the right words, but ultimately if you’re not qualified, it will come out in the application process. It’s always a good idea to make sure your language matches the job listing. Most of the time, key words are simply overlooked. There are a few

Using the same resume for each job is a waste of time and a bad strategy for success. You need to position your resume with a specific goal in mind. Ask yourself these questions: What job function are you seeking to perform? Marketing, sales, account management, etc. At what level? Associate, supervisor, director, etc. In what industry? Software, pharmaceutical, energy, etc. What problem can you solve? International expansion, sales turnaround, business growth, etc.

The bottom line is all that matters. Even with your impressive skills, big name companies, and expensive college degree where you graduated magna cum laude, what it comes down to is how you contributed to profit growth or how you saved money. Your resume experience has to reflect in order to stand out from the competition.

Format: check. Typos: check. Highlighting duties instead of accomplishments: Fail. Do better than the basic job description. Go from “all about you” to showing the reader (and ATS software) what they want to see. How do you stand out from the rest? The reader will have a basic knowledge of your job and doesn’t need to be reminded about the mundane details. What they want to see is how you improved on something. The eye is drawn to numbers and action words. The ATS software is

Never assume the reader knows what you’re referring to when you use lingo on your resume. This goes along the lines of don’t make them work when they’re reading it. State what it is and spell it out. Literally. If it’s mentioned more than once, put the abbreviation after the first one and the use the abbreviation.

Crafting an authentic and compelling work story on your resume is a vital goal, and doing so succinctly within one page requires a thoughtful approach. Avoid the temptation to pad it with unnecessary fillers—words that might seem impressive but often fall flat with hiring managers. Here's a snippet of some of the worst offenders: Best of breed Go-getter Think outside of the box Synergy Go-to person Results-driven Team player Hard worker Strategic thinker Detail-oriented The t

Bullet points are great for breaking up text on your resume. Here are some guidelines on when to use: Contact information Listing expertise Listing skills Education: when it goes beyond school, location, degree For experience, use 2-4 in descriptions; start each line with a dynamic action verb For entry level positions, if you want to change it up, you can use icons as bullets: Personal information icons: mail, phone and address icons Social media icons: Twitter, LinkedIn, In

Is it okay to use icons, symbols, and abbreviations in your resume? Yes and no. A big NO for submitting online through an application...

A resume serves as a strategic tool aimed at propelling you to the next stage of the hiring process.