Your resume says you have the skills and know-how that are necessary for the job, but the phone never rings and there's no emails in your inbox. If that sounds all too familiar, you may think that there's just too many other job candidates out there with more experience, but that's not always the case.
Instead, a survey by Careerbuilder.com showed that hiring managers see a lot of job candidates make mistakes with their resume and often those mistakes are a big part of the problem for not getting hired. Fortunately, there are some things hiring managers say you can do that can help you produce a winning resume.
1. Put a career summary at the top
According to the survey, 38 percent of human resource managers report that they typically spend only about one to two minutes looking over a resume, with 17 percent stating that they actually spend less than one minute. Place your career summary at the top of your resume to ensure that it actually gets read. This summary should provide an overview of your skills and work accomplishments.
2. Incorporate keywords into your resume
Many human resource managers now rely on an applicant tracking system to initially screen resumes. This tracking system ranks potential employees by searching for keywords that are relevant to the job position they are trying to fill. Incorporating keywords that are posted within the job description into your resume can help you get noticed and assist you in getting a higher ranking.
3. Silence the employment gap
If you've been out of work for a while a gap in your employment can cause concern for a hiring manager. Use a resume that lists your employment experience by skill rather than by the order in which you worked, since this will help make a gap less noticeable. This can also assist you when you are entering into a new type of job industry by showcasing your skills rather than your actual job experience.
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4. Update your resume
You never really know when an opportunity may present itself or when you may need your resume if your job situation were to change. Keep your resume up-to-date to ensure that you are ready to deliver it at a moment's notice.
5. Include relevant volunteer experience
If you have recently graduated, you may have little to show as far as your job history. Hiring managers will often overlook this if they see that you have relevant experience in the field as a volunteer. Don't forget to include this experience in your career summary at the top as well as in the body of your resume.
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