What is the purpose of a resume?
The singular objective of a professional branded ATS (Application Tracking System) compliant resume is to do one thing and one thing only, land the interview. Once you land the interview you will dazzle them with your winning personality and singular expertise. So, the question becomes, how do you write a resume that lands an interview?
#1 There are three components to writing a winning resume
In any given job there is a job description, so if all your resume is just a bulleted version of your job responsibilities, you are not differentiating yourself from the other candidates vying for same position and more importantly, you are not communicating the value you bring to a future employer.
Why?
Because recruiters and employers are more interested in the deliverables, the accomplishments and the results you’ve achieved rather than the responsibilities and tasks themselves.
#2 ATS Compliance
In any given job search, there is a push and a pull. The push is fairly straight forward; you find a job posting and you push your resume towards it. However, the pull is more complicated. It is when your resume is solicited from you by a recruiter. To get on the recruiter radar, it’s essential for your resume to be ATS compliant. If you’re not familiar with ATS think of it as a search engine for resumes, similar to what SEO (search engine optimization) is to websites. It’s a search algorithm filter recruiters use to ferret out qualified candidates based on keywords and key phrases.
Why?
Your resume must be ATS compliant which means your resume can only be one to two pages, must be in an ATS compatible format and feature the keywords and key phrases from the jobs you are looking for, as those are the keywords recruiters use to make the first cut.
#3 Brand Personality
No matter what job at what company you want next, one of the most important components is finding a company with core values and a corporate culture simpatico to your sensibility. Where your work ethic and personality are a great fit. The same is true for future employers. They don’t want to hire any old schlub, they want to find a candidate who can hit the ground running.
Why?
So, when a recruiter first looks at your resume, their initial response is emotional. Their second response is intellectual, which means you have just five seconds to impress upon them your resonances for the job you’re applying to. In order to accomplish that objective, your resume must have a distinct brand personality.
Now ask yourself, does my resume fit the bill? If you’re like the majority of my clients, I’m guessing the answer is no.
Please check out my 96 LinkedIn recommendations, resume and LinkedIn samples at www.alirothwrites.com to schedule a free consultation and get your resume on the top of the heap.