While recruiters and hiring managers may fall in love with your resume, they never fall into blind love. They check everything you write. They will:
- Use an Applicant Tracking System to ensure your resume shows the essential skills they are looking for and those they asked for in the job announcement.
- Call your references.
- Do a background check, including checking your degrees, certifications, and licenses.
- Search Social Media for additional information.
- Read your resume for facts—not a slew of adjectives and self-compliments like “team player” but actual descriptions of times when you demonstrated teamwork and collaboration.
Therefore, if you want recruiters and hiring managers to love you and your resume, you must tell the truth and be specific. Write your resume to pass successfully through an Applicant Tracking System by paying attention to the most in-demand skills listed in the job posting or advertisement. Additionally, let your references know the company may contact them. What else can you do so that recruiters and hiring managers love you and your resume? They will expect you to:
- Know what you want. Make it clear from the header on your resume what type of position you are looking for (such as “Manager of Customer Service,” “Director of Sales,” “Senior IT Executive”). You need to tell hiring managers and recruiters what type of position you are looking for—they will not invent a position for you.
- Provide the expected information in the expected places. Resumes have a standard format, which varies only slightly depending on your experience and your goals. Provide only the information that is appropriate to the job and legally acceptable for the company to know.
- Write a resume that is easy to understand. Define acronyms; use everyday language, not jargon; and avoid complex designs and small fonts that are hard to read.
- Give them a reason to hire you. Concentrate on results first, then explain how you reached them very briefly and clearly; for example, “Reached 1,000 new customers a month through new social media marketing (SMM) campaign.”
- Set yourself apart. Place numbers wherever you can (“mentored five team members,” “answered 30 phone calls daily,” “increased revenue 6% annually”). No one else will have the exact same accomplishments as you.
- Be professional. Handle any gaps or problem areas of your resume professionally.
If you have problems with any of these goals, contact Robin’s Resumes®; we will help you develop a resume that recruiters and hiring managers will love.