You've been hoping for a new job, but your phone is silent.
No recruiters calling, no job offers; it's so quiet you
can almost hear the crickets outside. Maybe it's time to
reassess.
Does this sound like your job search efforts?
* You've sent out hundreds of resumes to countless job
postings but received little or no response.
* You've left dozens of voicemails to recruiters explaining
why you are a perfect fit-and they never return your call.
* You've tweaked your resume so many times you no longer
recognize it.
If this describes your situation, you are not alone. Many
talented, qualified job seekers get ignored by recruiters
and hiring managers simply because their resume has one or
more of the following problems.
1. Your resume highlights your lack of industry experience
Most recruiters are looking for a point-by-point candidate
match when screening resumes. Industry background usually
ranks high on the list of qualifying issues. If you don't
have experience in that industry, your resume is going
straight to the circular file-unless you can give them a
compelling reason to keep your resume in the stack.
If you lack specific industry experience, but you know you
have the basic skills for the job, try highlighting your
transferable skills instead. Job seekers who lack industry
experience can make it past the resume screener by proving
their ability with skills they have that transfer from
industry to industry. Examples of transferable skills
include expertise gained in sales, customer service,
finance, accounting, negotiation, cross-functional
communications, and/or team building. Look at the skills
they need, then figure out how your background is a match.
2. Your resume shouts "Overqualified!"
Nothing scares off a recruiter faster than a candidate who
is obviously overqualified for the job. The two main
concerns are (1) that the candidate would soon get bored
and leave at his earliest convenience, and (2) that the
candidate would be too expensive to hire. Even worse is
the assumption that the over qualified candidate is on a
downward career slope-a has-been with all his best years
behind him.
There are, however, many valid reasons job seekers wish to
downsize to jobs with fewer responsibilities. Whatever
your reasons, tailor your resume to fit your current career
objective. This means you'll want to play down your prior
responsibilities, list only relevant education (don't list
a Ph.D. if you are applying for a mid-level management
position!), and emphasize tactical experience over
strategic planning when appropriate.
3. Your resume is crammed with information, but not the
right kind
Pity the poor recruiter who must get through 200 applicant
resumes before lunchtime. If your resume is in the pile,
it will get a quick scan and pass over if she can't find
what she is looking for in less than 30 seconds. If you
have a resume that is disorganized or full of dense blocks
of text, how will the recruiter learn anything about you?
You'll catch the recruiter's attention if you have a clear,
easy-to-read resume that highlights your skills and
accomplishments, even at a glance. The first rule of
resume effectiveness is relevancy, so edit out the past
data and redundant facts that aren't relevant to your
current career path. Fill your resume only with the skills
needed for that particular job, and you'll go a long way
toward getting a recruiter's attention.
4. Your resume has too little information
While the "strong, silent type" may be attractive in men,
it just plain flops in a resume. A resume that looks more
like an outline just doesn't give the reader enough to work
with. Recruiters don't want to guess what you did at your
last job. You need to include enough information to give
prospective employers a vision of the possibilities if they
choose to hire you.
If you struggle with what to include in your resume, use
job descriptions to help you understand what recruiters
will want to find in your resume. Then review your
previous jobs to determine what skills you have that will
be a good match.
5. Your resume doesn't include accomplishments If you
haven't thought lately about how your employer has
benefited from having you as an employee, it's a sure bet
that your resume is lacking in accomplishments. Remember,
as a job seeker you are selling your talents, and you are
competing with many others who have the same qualifications
as you do. Accomplishments give recruiters a reason to
choose you over others for the interview short list.
Give screeners ample reason to select you for interview.
Highlight how you have saved time, increased efficiency,
cut cost and increased client satisfaction. After all, if
you don't tell them, nobody else will!
If you use this five-point checklist to restructure your
resume, you'll soon hear back from recruiters who
appreciate qualified, articulate and confident candidates.
The time you spend enhancing your resume could shave off
months of fruitless labor and frustrating effort in your
job search.
----------------------------------------------------
Deborah Walker, Resume Coach, is a former recruiter who
knows all of the resume "red flags" that keep candidates
from effectively attracting recruiters. Deborah's insider
perspective helps her clients craft resumes that attract
recruiter attention and earn them interviews. To learn
more resume insider secrets visit Deb at:
http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com
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