When it comes to resumes, it’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
Your Resume Must Be ATS Friendly
Many resumes never get screened by a human because they don’t get past the initial Applicant Tracking System used by many companies today. Your resume is scanned and searched for keywords the recruiter has specified. If your resume doesn’t contain enough of those keywords, or your document’s formatting interferes with the scanning (such as putting key skills in a box), your resume can come out of the ATS garbled.
For example, you might be rated a manager instead of a director, or be categorized as working in the wrong department or even the wrong industry.
Your resume needs to be formatted correctly (must be ATS-friendly). That requires that the text, images, boxes, headings, bullet points, colors and other facets of your document don’t interfere with the program.
I can help you create a resume that doesn’t interfere with ATS systems.
No One Cares About You
Sorry, but it’s true. Even when you’ve made it to the interview stage, a recruiter, HR director or head hunter isn’t primarily interested in your work history, experience and accomplishments.
They want to know what you can do for this specific company going forward. That means your resume has to focus on the future, not the past.
Yes, they will grill you about your work history, experience and accomplishments, but only after your cover letter and resume have told them what are likely able to do for this specific business going forward. That means you need to format the content of your resume so that this point comes across first and foremost.
I am adept at arranging the different elements of a resume or CV, and providing high-level line editing to make your document talk to a recruiter, not just talk about you.
The Process
The first step in creating an effective resume is a discussion with a professional resume writer who can quickly learn (from you) what will turn on a recruiter or department head at a specific company who is going to read your resume and refer to it during an interview.
Before we start working on your resume document, you and I will spend time on the phone discussing the position you’re seeking, or the types of positions you’re going to be applying for.
I will then create the first draft of your resume, which you and I will then tear apart to get closer to your final draft. I will most likely fight you over keeping the loads of very technical information you want to put into your resume because, “It’s important in my profession!”
You must remember, however, that a resume is never intended to get you a job – it’s intended to get you an interview. Or two. Or three.
Your resume needs to tease and turn on a recruiter. THAT’S how you get interviews. And that’s where you sell yourself.
The total process of creating your resume usually involves a phone call or Zoom meeting, going over the first draft together, then tweaking the final draft. In many cases, the first draft requires very little tweaking.
You can review sample resumes I’ve created for executives here.