The Only Resume Tip You Need to Know!

By kimberly

Updating your resume – a necessary but less than exciting part of the job search process. But Transition Talent has a major resume tip that will be your guiding light for all resume updates… ready? Here it is:

Do the reader’s job for them.

What does this mean exactly? Said differently, try to put yourself in their shoes. Let’s assume the reader is a crazy busy recruiter or hiring manager whose only goal is to fill their open role with the best candidate possible. They will have to look through hundreds of resumes and narrow down to a handful worthy of interviewing. Or, the “reader” may be a set of algorithms as part of a resume parsing software program – not a person at all!

Whether human or computer you can do the reader’s job by matching verbiage and keywords from the job posting to those in your resume and cover. Simple and effective! 

When considering the human side, be sure to capture their attention within the top half of the first page. This can be done with a well-written profile statement, list of top achievements, and/or a skills list.

For the resume parser, you may want to consider a resume with simple text vs. one that uses design elements and/or is saved as an image.

By thinking from the perspective of the reader, your resume is sure to get the attention of both the recruiter and also the parser. Need more detailed guidance? Transition Talent can help with that here.