Rewrite Your Resume Like a Pro
As a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), I know the value that my clients find in having their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters written by a professional. Having a fresh set of eyes summarize your career can help you to see yourself in a new light; an insightful career advisor can highlight your skills and results so positively that you may not even recognize yourself!
With the current DIY trends, you might prefer to do your own resume overhaul. Before you get started, here are three easy tips in writing a resume or LinkedIn profile which showcases everything that you have to offer to potential employers.
Numerical Results are Everything
Recruiters and hiring managers want real evidence that you can do the job and the best way to demonstrate your capabilities is to quantify your results. Yes, you can figure this out whether you are a CEO or Office Assistant — you’ll just need to take some time to brainstorm (or potentially estimate) the value that you have added to your organization. Examples include:
- Processed 1500 applications in 12 months …
- Improved test scores by 10% YOY…
- Managed $100,000 project …
- Directed 5 employees ….
- Slashed expenses by $50,000 ….
- Boosted efficiency by 15% ….
My clients sometimes struggle to do this work, but giving numerical results wherever possible is critical information to provide to potential employers, especially since the average resume reading time is several seconds.
Make Your Resume ATS Friendly
Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is the latest buzzword in the career search industry, and for good reason. Many companies use this technology to screen your resume before a human ever reads it. You can hack the ATS system by strategically placing the job post keywords in your resume — this ensures that the system identifies you as a strong candidates and gives your resume a stronger chance of being read by a human.
Now, you don’t want your resume to be spammy, but you do want to make sure those keywords are part of your resume wherever applicable. You can do this by sight at first and then check your accuracy through websites such as Jobscan, which replicates the ATS process.
Highlight Transferable Skills
Whether you are changing careers, angling for a promotion, or just looking for an internal move within your current organization, determining transferable skills is critical. These are the skills that you are currently using (or have used in the past) that you can directly use in your new role.
Closely read the target job description and identify the top skills required. Sprinkle your experience with these skills throughout your resume and particularly highlight these skills in your Skills Section or Summary Paragraph. This is particularly important in your LinkedIn profile as recruiters will search for job candidates based on skills required. You don’t want to lose out on potential job opportunities just because your profile doesn’t match your current skill base.
Wrapping it Up …
You know yourself the best, and if you are able to identify your top accomplishments and translate them into a strong resume, LinkedIn profile, and cover letter, then go for writing your resume yourself! Just make sure to review the job postings and add those keywords into your resume to make yourself a match. All the best in your job search — you’ve got this!