Job seekers have been going through a dichotomy- a job search technique that requires a blend of technology with old methods. It is an important consideration while architecting resume. 75% to 85% of job seekers found their dream roles through referrals & networking. Besides, 95% of companies including fortune 500 & small to medium sized organisations user Application Tracking Systems(ATS).
This essentially means that you will know about the role either through connection, network or through job board( very less chances since 75% of jobs are not advertised) & you will be asked to submit your application online.
Hence, gone are the days when you were required to print black-white resumes & place a copy with hiring manager/HR folks at the time of interview. In today’s technology world, you need to design resume which can be read by both humans & bots.
- Learn pain point of your customers- your target company: Just like a sales professional who cannot sell/pitch a product without understanding the need/pain point of customer, you cannot write a perfect resume if you don’t know what makes your profile attractive to prospective employers or if you do know employer’s pain point. Think about your achievements in your previous role(s), contribution you did that earned you awards, recognition or even promotion. This will help you build your brand foundation & prove you can deliver what you have claimed in your resume. Ask yourself these questions while architecting your resume:
- Why you as compared to other candidates?
- What have you consistently achieved in your current & former roles?
- Have you increases sales, profits, improved productivity or standardized processes?
- Have you acquired new clients, build stakeholder relationships or implemented cost leadership strategies?
Translating responses to these questions into a saleable professional summary will help readers evaluate if you are suited for particular role.
2) Substantiate your claims: While pitching for a product or service to a prospective client, you need to prove your claims to close the sale. Similarly as a jobseeker while your opening statement may sound too attractive, you need to support your claim through including statement indicating measurable outcomes you have achieved/benefits you have generated for the organisation. Consider the following example:
Earlier statement:
Developed & nurtured a team of 20 field soldiers to increase topline
After:
Built & led a team of 20 sales functionaries to register 3X growth in sales
3) Load awesome stuff at every bullet point: Unlike in print form of resume where reader tries to focus more of the latest experience, we tend to jump around on whatever grabs our attention. Therefore make sure that each of your bullet point should reflect some benefit/measurable outcome. Keep the bullets precise avoiding unnecessary information to drive the reader to portion that is impactful/showcases your achievements.
4) Architect the document that appeal to humans & read by ATS: IN 2020, resumes will be read by humans first, then will through software & again would be analysed by humans. Jobseekers will go through job boards to figure out corporations which are hiring, find our mutual connections & network with decision makers on professional platform such as LinkedIn, Zing etc until they submit their application online. The resumes will then be read & re-read by humans throughout the course of interview.
Resumes that articulates well on why & how your profile stand out with relevant keywords will not pass through ATS but will also present a strong case that your a perfect fit for the said role.
