A typical initial shortlisting of resumes funnel:
STEP 1 – Scanned by an ATS or junior resume sourcers.
STEP 2 – Scanned by a human recruiter.
STEP 3- Shortlisted for interviews.
Here are 5 sure-shot ways to help your resume sail through to STEP 3:
🎯TAGLINE OR A BRANDING STATEMENT –
Ideally, the first third of your resume should entice the reader to continue reading. A sure way to accentuate the top third of your resume is to have a branding statement or a tagline that incorporates your career trajectory, certifications, level and industry, and/or core areas of focus. Every time you apply, adjust the language to match the job posting and in the same order of priority.
🎯ELEVATOR PITCH BUILT INTO YOUR SUMMARY
It needs to be concise, consistent, and clear. It should succinctly articulate who you are, what makes you great, what successes you have achieved thus far (relevant to the job posting requirements), and what your career aspirations are. While most people simply state their objective to find a job in a reputed company, the purpose of the professional summary is to accentuate and highlight the most important accomplishments, skills, and abilities.
🎯INDUSTRY-RELEVANT KEYWORD-RICH CONTENT
A resume has evolved into a strategic marketing document that emphasizes core skills and keywords. Since most companies use automated systems to weed out qualified candidates from unqualified candidates, it is even more crucial for job candidates to use industry-relevant keywords in their resumes. Make sure you read the job posting and highlight and match the important keywords within your resume but avoid keyword stuffing.
🎯RESULTS & OUTCOMES OVER RESPONSIBILITIES & JOB FUNCTIONS
Candidates can distinguish themselves from hundreds of others applying for the same position by emphasizing results within their resumes rather than a laundry list of job duties. Saying you ‘drove growth and exceeded at something’ without providing a measurable number or percentage makes it impossible for the hiring manager or recruiter to see your value.
🎯AN APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM COMPLAINT FORMAT
An ATS-compliant resume is created in a way that lets the automated bot parse/read the application with ease. The formatting is simple and easy to scan. ATS-friendly resumes also contain keywords that match the job Ad and highlight relevant work experience and professional skills. Using images, logos and graphs etc, will surely make your resume unreadable and hence trashed.
Consider these five tips when crafting your resume to avoid the trash pile and enter the yes pile.
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