When applying for jobs, the resume is your first impression to recruiters or hiring managers. Research suggests that a hiring manager/recruiter only spends 6 seconds on one resume. So, for a candidate, it is important to have an interview-winning resume that is good enough to clear the ATS assessment, makes it to the recruiter's desk, as well as good enough to impress the recruiter in 6 seconds. Let's see what are some essentials for creating a perfect resume that can land you an interview call.
Create a perfect match with a Job-Specific Resume
Have you applied for more than 20 Jobs and still did not get a single interview call? Maybe you need to revisit your job-search strategy. Instead of just focusing on your reach by applying to several jobs with a single resume, try to focus on fewer jobs and use job-Specific or tailored resumes. Always remember that different jobs require different skills and personalities and you need to highlight those areas in your resume. Act smart, carefully go through the job requirements and company’s profile. Re-design your resume according to the job requirements to ensure it shows that you are the perfect candidate for this position.
Irrelevant Information May Have a Counter Effect
You may feel like there is no harm in adding something extra to your resume believing that it will be good value addition. But in reality, it is not. Your recruiter has just a few seconds to go through your resume and the irrelevant information can easily overshadow the important one. Try to accommodate the relevant information as much as possible than the irrelevant ones. Let it be the skills, achievements, hobbies, or your profile summary. The content you are including in your resume should be relevant to the job you are applying for. Professionally written resumes land more interviews.
Ignoring ATS (Applicant Tracking System) Optimization is a Huge Mistake
The applicant tracking system (ATS) is a widely used tool today that helps recruiters in sorting out job applications. When you apply for a job, your resume most likely encounters the ATS way before it reaches the recruiter. So, it is unwise to ignore the significance of ATS optimization in your resume because if your resume is unable to pass through the ATS algorithms, it is never going to make it to the recruiters’ desk. Local resume writing companies that create keyword optimized resumes. The majority of organizations are relying on ATS in their recruitment process which means if your resume is not software readable, does not contain relevant keywords, and missing critical sections, then you might not receive the interview call. Always, read the job descriptions before applying and always try to incorporate keywords from the description in your resume. Also, you should opt for the ATS-friendly resume format to further boost your chances of clearing the ATS filters.
A Précised Resume Can Serve The Purpose Well
There is no need to be too wordy when the same idea can be presented in fewer words. Writing sentences that contain too many redundant words and unnecessarily detailed explanations of your skills and achievements is not going to help. The excessive content will only take extra space that could have been used for something impactful. Try to use concise and achievement-oriented sentences that serve the same purpose with fewer words and space.
An Organized Resume is Always a Step Forward
You must organize your resume in such a way that it does not confuse the recruiters. It should be so well-designed that recruiters should not have to find information. Everything should be in front of their eyes and easily noticeable. To ensure that, always create well-defined sections with proper titles for each resume element like; Experience, Skills, Education, Research, etc. Arrange all the sections professionally and add a timeline to provide more clarity.
Think Twice Before Choosing any Random Template from the Internet
A resume’s purpose is to pass the ATS filter, impress the recruiter, and land you an interview call so focus on meeting these criteria when choosing the resume template. Rather than choosing a template that visually appeals to you, look at it from the recruiter's perspective and try to go with one that would appeal to the recruiter. Always keep in mind how a specific template can help you make the most of those 6 seconds that your resume will get and how it would help your recruiter in knowing you better by just giving it one look. Never use the most used/downloaded template and always make some personal improvisations in the template to stand out from the crowd and to get the desired attention.
A little bit of Creativity Can do Marvelous Things
Considering the tough competition in the market, being a little creative and innovative with your resume can give you an impactful result and score you an interview call. It is always those little steps that help you to stand out from the rest, and enable you to seize the opportunity. Recruiters who are loaded with thousands of applications for every vacant position tend to prefer applications that are to the point and talk about accomplishments rather than ones with just a fancy template and not a single word that is relevant to the job. Apart from that, creatively changing the presentation methods also influences recruiters to give your resume a shot, for example; using statistics and infographic to visually appeal your recruiters.
An Expert’s Advice is like a cherry on top
There is always room for innovation and improvement when it comes to resumes. Different organizations for different jobs may have diverse expectations from their candidates’ resumes. Therefore, it is always advised to get your resume reviewed by an industry expert or an HR specialist before submitting it. A short review of your resume from an experienced person will allow you to recognize the common mistakes that generally candidates make in their resumes, it will help you to correct those in yours and will increase your chance to get an interview call. Always look around for such experts in your social or professional circle who can help you with the review, you can easily avail these services online as well from some renowned resume writing websites.
It does not matter how many skills and capabilities you have for the job. In the initial phases, you will get judged based on your resume until you do not seize the opportunity for an interview. If you fail at that, your skills and capabilities are of no use. So never underestimate its importance and focus on the little things that will make a difference on your resume. Take into account all of the above methods while designing your resume so you can get an interview call to impress your recruiter with your personality.