Computerized applicant tracking systems are great at pulling out resumes that fit the skills and achievements that a company wants in its next employee. Then that resume goes to the hiring manager or recruiter who is also looking for certain intangibles, like a sense that the applicant will be successful in the job if hired. One of the big forecasts of future success is current enthusiasm.
In fact, the Department of Labor has stated: “Enthusiasm can mean the difference in not just getting a job, but succeeding in a job and even advancing in your career….A positive attitude is an ‘I can’ attitude.”
Recruiters and hiring managers are pleased when they see an applicant who has taken additional professional courses or who has volunteered to an organization that can use the applicant’s job skills. These actions indicate that, even in downtime, the applicant is enthusiastic about his or her career. The resume should show those activities to advantage.
Recruiters and hiring managers also appreciate applicants who have contributed to their previous companies’ success. That contribution might start with applying skills to the job at hand and continue up the levels of involvement to leading an entire organization. The important factor here is that the resume shows the applicant achieved something, whether it was a working part in a machine or a working business unit in a multinational corporation.
Recruiters and hiring managers want to find commitment in a job applicant. While few employees these days stay in one job for decades, most employees have a sense of trajectory in their careers. Even if a job applicant has changed industries or careers midstream, the resume should provide a sense that the applicant all along was gathering skills, contacts, information, and ideas that would be useful in the new industry or career.
When your resume shows your enthusiasm for your career, you are reassuring hiring managers and recruiters that you will be a valuable contributor to your next employer’s success. Robin’s Resumes® will help you do just that.