Avoid The Resume Waste Land

You might stare at these two staggering statistics and cringe.

• Recruiters spend an average of 3.14 minutes reading a candidate's resume and they have generally made up their mind within the first minute. *

• 1 in 5 Recruiters will actually reject a candidate before they've even finished reading their resume. *

FEAR NOT!

Though resume writing can be daunting, there are some simple keys to help you stay in the game! Here are a couple to get you started.

1. Never include a photo of yourself on your resume. Why? It creates instant bias for the Recruiter. In fact, some Recruiters won't even look at a resume with a photo because they do not want to be accused of discriminating based on gender, age or ethnicity.

2. Chose your resume keywords carefully. If you are applying online, robots are reading your resume and they are very finicky. The robots quickly eliminate 75% of applicants. Be sure to read the job description carefully and then tailor your primary resume to ensure similar key words. For example, if you are applying for a role as a"Sales Manager" and your previous experience is captured as "Sales Coach" on your resume, consider amending your resume for that specific application. Additionally, be sure you understand the key skills necessary to perform the role and highlight those skills fully on your resume.

3. Be sure to differentiate yourself! 427,000 resumes are posted on Monster EACH WEEK! *

Hiring Managers, Recruiters and Talent Acquisition professionals would be rich and retired if they got $1.00 every time they came across a resume that presumed how "hard working" the candidate is. Fluffy unproven words don't land your dream role. Experience and accomplishments do! Your previous job experience should be limited to brief descriptions with the bulk on information being targeted at past awards, contributions, and proven record of success.

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*Courtesy of jobvite.com