Listen to the blog here: https://anchor.fm/meghan-greenwood/episodes/5-Tips-to-Improve-Your-Resume-e16ba33

Finding a job is a job in and of itself. A lot of time and effort goes into searching and applying for the job. After all of that, it is incredibly frustrating to not get an interview. According to Balance Careers, the number 1 reason folks are not chosen for an interview is because they’re not a match for the job. And match doesn’t mean you’re not qualified – it simply means the screening system, whether that be automated or via a hiring manager, did not find the keywords on your resume.

This notion of keywords is incredibly important when you’re composing your resume. With technology and the overwhelming amount of resumes gathered by a lot of employers, it is rare to have your resume screened by an actual human. Instead, it is put through software that scans the document for words that align with those stated in the job application. Once you make it through that screener, it is more likely that a living person will then review the resume in more detail.

Therefore, drafting a resume is a two-fold process. You need to consider the screening and then the detailed review.

Here are 5 tips to help you improve your current resume:

1. Thoroughly review the job application. Highlight keywords in the job application that could be utilized in your resume. Fully note the requirements for the job. Attention to these details will help craft the resume.
2. Write your resume using some of the keywords. Your work experience should highlight what you have done previously in a way that is most applicable to the job you’re applying for.
3. Make sure each item under your list of experience starts with an actionable verb and includes quantitative results. For example, ‘Prospected 20 global clients with an 85% success rate’ instead of ‘Specialized in prospecting clients from multiple countries.’
4. Keep your resume short (1-2 pages maximum). If you have a lengthy resume, first see if you can reformat to 2 columns to minimize the page count – but don’t reduce the font size to something unreadable. If columns don’t help, remove any experience that is not relevant to the position. A full work history is not necessarily required.
5. Update and fine-tune your resume for each job application. One resume does not work for all positions. You will need multiple versions to ensure being considered for the job – hiring managers are very keen and can easily spot if you have copy/pasted your resume from another application.

Overall, resume building is quite time-consuming, but it is a critical step to ensuring an interview. Put in the effort and consider asking someone to review it. You can reach out to me – I’d be happy to do so. You’ll also be happy you did.