How to Write a Resume - Recruiter Friendly Resumes
Recruiters are very unforgiving when it comes to assessing / screening a resume, and your application can been given less than a few seconds to impress. So how do recruiters typically score a resume, and what attributes do we need to impresses them?
The following is a look into the Key Matching Criteria that recruiters look out for. Needless to say, if you resume scores high on ALL 5 POINTS, then you’re well on the way to interview:
Position titles & headers – recruiters love to see “like for like”. If you have held or currently hold a similar position to that being advertised, this needs to stand out clearly in the resume and the headers. TIP: Where your own job titles differs in name but are equal in job responsibility of the advertised role, consider adjusting your position title or offering a comparative in brackets; for example "CLIENT PROGRAM DELIVERY" can be written as "CLIENT PROGRAM DELIVERY (ACCOUNT MANAGER)".
Job description & key words – resumes that match the key words in a job description will automatically catch the reader’s attention. It’s imperative that either your current and/or more recent position offers comparisons and not so "over weighted” that these points can't be seen. Therefore, avoid too much clutter, include a “key word” section in your resume and consider re-writing your resume against the job description.
Industry sectors – many employers like to see applicants from similar industry backgrounds; and especially from recognised competitors. Although you may not have an exact match, many sectors go arm in arm, such as Retail and Services sector, Engineering and Construction. Try to think of common ground that may be relevant when listing your resume.
Qualifications: for some positions, this may be essential, but for others it might just be “desirable”. TIP: There are many places list your qualifications, and although many recruiters will tell you that they prefer qualifications to be on the Front Page, consider listing qualifications on the last page to put more emphasis on work experience and your career.
Number of years experience – recruiters are often under strict instructions as to the minimum and sometimes maximum number of years experience. Recruiters will often know the age groups they are seeking, but won’t be able to tell you this. Don’t take it personally, just move on. If the job description is hinting at an age group, and you don't fit that group, you are more than likely to be rejected (there's no point in lying about your age.
You’ll notice that we
haven’t mentioned anything about achievements? This is because;
the above is to give you an idea on what a recruiter will use
for an initial screening of the resume.
Achievements
play a
vital component in the next stage of the short listing process.
Thank you to itouch resume writers for supplying this article
Next on how to wrtie a resume: Tailoring your resume to a job description
