Excellent article! 



12 Ways To Make Your Resume Stand Out

by Jacquelyn Smith  

www.businessinsider.com, APR. 2, 2014, 11:02 AM 27,035

"For any given job opening, HR personnel and hiring managers are deluged with resumes. Since they don’t have the time or resources to interview everyone, they are always looking for ways to weed out candidates as quickly as possible.
In fact, some merely glance at each resume before deciding whether to toss it in the "yes" or "no" pile. So, it's imperative that you make those few seconds count."

So you’ve responded to an online job ad by filling out an online application or submitting your resume. You hit the submit button and that was the end of it. Weeks have passed and you haven’t heard back from the employer. What happened?

Almost 75% of resumes sent are never read by a human. Instead, employers both large and small are using applicant tracking software to scan the information from your resume and extract key words to be mapped out into a database called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). Using these key words, the system will assign you a score based on how well you match the job requirements and your application will be ranked and sorted along with all the other applications. Only the candidates with the highest scores will move on to the next stage of the selection process.

So how can you improve your resume’s score and make it past the ATS? Here are a few tips:

1.       Use language from the job description. Carefully read the job posting and identify key terms such as required skills, industry terms, and even buzzwords and jargon that are used most frequently in the description. Incorporate these words into your resume when possible – these are the words the ATS is looking for. A Career Summary at the top of the resume is a great place to use words that match the required qualifications, experience, skills, and expertise laid out in the job posting.

2.       Highlight your skills, and be specific. Most employers use their ATS to search for specialized or technical skills. Make sure your resume includes any special skills you’ve attained, the names of computer programs you know how to use, specific competencies, and other abilities. Spell words out, only using abbreviations and acronyms that are industry standard.

3.       Get rid of irrelevant information. Only include information about your past positions that demonstrates that you have the skills and qualifications relevant to the job you are applying for. Irrelevant filler information just ends up as a waste of space. It is more effective to tailor your application to the employer’s needs and flesh out sections that demonstrate your qualifications. Every job ad will contain different key words and phrases, so tailor your resume to each opportunity.

4.       Don’t use images, including graphs. Often job seekers mistakenly believe that images will catch the employer’s attention, but even if this were true they wouldn’t catch the attention of an ATS. The fact is that applicant tracking software is not able to read or understand images, so adding them is a waste of your time. If you’re attached to your infographic resume, save it for the in-person interview.

5.       Don’t use any special characters or formatting, including tables. Standard bullets are fine, but other characters (such as arrows, check marks, etc.), tables, borders, shading, and other special formatting can cause issues that prevent the ATS from finding useful information in your resume. Also be careful about your choice of font – when your resume is read by a person standard, business-friendly fonts (Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma, Courier, etc.) will be better received.

6.       Watch for spelling errors. An ATS will not pick up a word if it is misspelled. To avoid mistakes use spell check, read your document backwards, or have a friend (or two) look it over. You can never be too safe. Even applications read by human eyes will likely be screened out if they contain spelling errors.

7.       Put your contact information at the top. Don’t forget to include vital information such as your phone number and email address. The ATS may send an email after you’ve applied to the position with additional instructions — so check your spam folder frequently to make sure you don’t miss further communications. 

Most of us have a circle of friends, family, and colleagues that we can relate to. You might be surprised at just how large your circle is. According to the American Funeral Directors Association, 250 people attend an average funeral. Think about this for this a moment - if the average person has a loose circle of 250 people in their lives, the potential reach of the ordinary person is mind-boggling.

When you are searching for work, you need to think about using or expanding this network of yours. From my experience working in career and employment counselling I would say there is a direct relationship between people’s networks and the level of success they reach in their careers.

Why network?

As the saying goes, it’s not what you know, but who you know. This is why some people manage to find opportunities while others just get stuck regardless of their skills, expertise, and experience.

When searching for work it is far more productive and less taxing to build on the goodwill and warmth of your network than to cold call and apply for jobs at companies where you have no connections. The best positions are usually found through word of mouth.

Networking can also help you in all aspects of career management. It provides you with valuable information, support, and feedback regarding the following:

• Assessing yourself, in terms of checking in with others in your field and understanding where you are in comparison to your peers.
• Searching for work and opportunities, and changing careers.
• Finding creative work options, allowing you to “think outside of the box”.
  
  

Admittedly, networking is harder for some than it is for others. If networking is tough work for you, just remember that it is an opportunity to develop and maintain relationships.

Tips for Improving Your Networking Skills 

There are two types of networking. The first is passive networking, also known as the “shotgun” approach. This means broadcasting your employment goals to your established network using means such as social media. This gets word of your goals out to many people at once with little effort, but these people may not be paying much attention or may not be able to help you.

The second type of networking is active networking. This requires some work. Active networking is connecting with peers and managers in your career field. Here are some tips for meeting and impressing the right people:

• Be targeted in your networking efforts. This means taking stock of your skills, experience, expertise, knowledge, values, and workplace preferences and being clear about your career and job search goals. Individuals within your career target(s) are far more likely to tip you off about openings than are general acquaintances.

• Make connections with people in your desired field. When making contact with new people, especially potential employers, stay away from the word “job”. Tell them you are looking for information or opportunities within your chosen field and that you would like to have the chance to introduce yourself and perhaps meet face to face for a discussion on the topic at their convenience. DON’T ask for a job. The point is to expand your contacts.

• Learn about the culture and norms in your chosen field. Networking is about forming relationships, getting to know people, and participating in the practices of a career community. Every community has norms and practices, and people in the same career often share similar interests and values. Go to a trade show or similar event and do some people-watching – maybe you can learn something that will help you make connections with people.

• Keep up with news and events happening in your field. You may want to allocate money for conferences, lectures, and other opportunities to meet people and exchange information. This will help you engage in conversation with new contacts.

• Become a joiner. Other places to meet people include sporting activities and social groups. Find an activity that you’re interested in and participate. Target the career field or occupational community you wish to join and figure out where the members of that group socialize, or volunteer in the field.

• Be prepared to be helpful to others. Networking is a two-way street. If you ask someone for leads and you have a good relationship with them, they’ll put your name forward. Be prepared to make connections for others. What goes around comes around.

Developing your own network does not have to be painful. Done right, it will be energizing and rewarding. Making your contacts work for you is not mercenary; rather it is the secret to having successful relationships that will work for you. Infuse fun into networking, work on, and nurture relationships that will enrich your life.