Today, job hunting is on the mind of many professionals. Some candidates are looking for a position after a coronavirus layoff, while others made finding a new job their New Year’s resolution. In some cases, professionals are simply testing the market, trying to determine if the grass may be greener with a new employer.
Regardless of your reason for launching a job search, you need to make sure your resume is an attention grabber. Competition may be fierce, so you want to stand out from the crowd. But you also need to make sure your application ends up in front of the hiring manager, so you need to prepare your resume for automated screening, too.
Luckily, a few small changes to your resume can make a big difference. If you aren’t sure where to begin, here are some tips.
Highlight More Than Your Field-Related Skills
While showcasing your field-related expertise is certainly a must, you also want to highlight more. Soft skills are at least as important now as they were pre-pandemic and, in some cases, they are even more valuable. Hiring managers prefer candidates who can demonstrate they have the right traits, which is why you want to put yours on display.
When you update your resume, make sure to showcase the right soft skills. Since many people will be working remotely, at least through the early part of 2021, you want to include soft skills that help you excel in that paradigm. Communication is a big one, as well as time management and organization.
You may want to reference the various technologies you’ve grown accustomed to, such as project management, collaboration, and remote desktop software for remote roles. Tech-savviness is also important for professionals in all fields. It shows that you can adapt to various technologies that companies may use to keep you connected and could help you stand out.
Perfect Your Professional Summary
A professional summary at the top of your resume can help you set the tone and immediately provide the hiring manager with critical information. It allows you to showcase skills and expertise right away, enticing the hiring manager to keep reading.
Precisely what you need to include will vary. If you have experience in your field, include a few of the skills from the must-have list in the job ad and discuss how they’ve helped you excel. If you’re a recent graduate, focus on your education (and possibly a personal project or two) and how it allowed you to acquire critical skills and prepare you for success.
Try a Hybrid Resume Format
While abandoning a chronological format in favor of a functional resume usually isn’t a great idea, a hybrid format can allow you to capture the best of both worlds. After your professional summary, add a brief skills section and use bullet points to highlight various relevant skills, using the job description as a guide.
When you list a skill, spell it precisely how it appears in the job ad. Usually, if an applicant tracking system (ATS) is screening resumes before making it to the hiring manager, they look for the same keywords and phrases you find in the vacancy posting. Your odds of being seen as a match go up significantly by including them, using the exact spelling, punctuation, and similar details.
Ultimately, those three small tweaks to your resume can make a big difference. If you’d like to learn more or partner with a recruiter to find a new job in 2021, the team at The Squires Group can help. Contact us today.