Which type of resume will gain the attention of a recruiter fast? Which resumes will get noticed, and be considered for a shortlist (which is usually around 5 at the most)? Which ones will get the job hunter an interview schedule soon? Which ones will help you not get discriminated just because of petty reasons (remember: recruiters always discriminate against applicants who fall below their list of standards, which are pretty much subjective, and beyond the scope of this article).
After saying adieu from doing HR (human resource) recruitment work for nearly 20 years, this writer has drawn from his bag of credentials to share resume tips and tricks (from a former insider who used to read numerous resumes) to jobseekers reading this article. Aware that many others have tackled this topic before, this contributor remains optimistic he can add more value to available literature on the topic online and those found in hard-copy books on HR.
Let us start listing them down (and here is a sincere wish these tips will work out well for you):
1 )Make your resume brief, at least 3 pages at the most. This applies most effectively on resumes being written mainly to look for jobs (as there are resumes being written and prepared for other purposes, e.g. like those written mainly by speakers for presentation purposes to a captive audience, or those found online to provide specialized services for business owners/service providers). Help the recruiter finish reading your resume---this writer knows from experience that only tyro recruiters ever read resumes in full. Members of the recruitment committee (informal or formally put in place) are almost always given briefers or notes about shortlisted candidates. Due to workload, and other processes involved in HR work, recruiters will barely have the time to read thoroughly (though this won't be admitted outright by any respectable recruiter). Three pages will suffice at least to get your resume be given the typical limited attention of the recruiter, who will usually just skim through resumes he/she would receive in response to a job vacancy.
2) Take note where you will be posting your resume, or which channel you are going to use to send your resume. Are you sending it online? Or by mail, or by hand-delivered through someone? This will influence the attention span of the reader, i.e. the recruiter and those other members of the recruitment team (who could include the direct supervisor, the other chief officers, among others).
3) Actually, a resume is best written by a good copy writer, or someone experienced writing resumes. Yes, you can consult anyone competent in your contacts, or get yourself referred to an experience recruiter. Or you may actually pay the fee of a professional resume writer. This makes the whole process manageable, and you will gain more confidence from the belief that your resume has been written well (and you've figured out yourself what would be the most effective approach for you to come up with a good resume).
4) Or you may approach search consultants (those engaged in the recruitment business, who would refer your resume to their clients) to help you come up with a much better and readable resume. Remember, search consultants are always interested to get you placed soon, as they earn from it. Collaborate with them to improve your resume.
5) Reread and rewrite your resume at least 5 times. Why five times? This number is not infallible; it just makes you go through the copy that many number of times, such that you will have opportunities to correct grammatical errors, typos, inconsistent data, non-factual information, incoherent sentences, run-on sentences, among other bits and pieces. Make a copy that is neat, and without erasures, not even a dint of such. Place a hard copy in a professional folder, the color of which reflects best your personality (though not necessarily to come it so strongly and turn off prospective employers) when you are in your happier mood. The objective is to help you come up with a very readable resume that is especially prepared for the critical eyes of the recruiter (plus those who will be involved in getting you hired, if you get yourself shortlisted for a job).
6) Given technology nowadays, you can also draft a copy of your resume, and post it online, even if you're not in the market. Observe how your resume online catches the attention of readers. Seek help and ask for feedback from those whose opinions you respect. Copy-paste the link to the resume, and have it added to your outgoing emails so that you can take the opportunity of letting people see your credentials. You never know what happens during all these processes of marketing and promotion your self to people not known to your personally. People, especially decision makers, only find time to read, when they're not prodded, and when they're comfortable and interested. You never know when they may start to read your resume, and subsequently do something positive to help you land better jobs (or just another job, depending on your job search).
7) Write, and start rewriting your resume during the first week of being at your new job (or start writing it now, if you have not got one prepared yet). Keep it in your personal files (online, with a soft copy, or a hard copy). Of course, you don't really have to announce this, or show it to your co-employees (or worst, to your direct boss). This gives you a lot of lead time for you to prepare good drafts of your freshly-written resume that will come handy when job opportunities or business prospects come your way. This helps most those who have not much experience in writing (and who finds writing as a dreadful activity).
8) Of course, write an honest-to-goodness resume that has verifiable, checkable information. Remember, recruiters will actually check on the data you included. Any inconsistency may cost you your job.
9) Do you actually write down "job info" that look negative, i.e. jobs where you were actually fired for some reason? Yes, why not? This helps send out a message that you've come into terms with it, and you're ready to face this moment, and give the "best of what you've got." The recruiter will note your honesty (which apparently is a difficult quality to catch), and may even give you helpful tips so that you can present a better resume to be submitted to other recruiters.
10) Read other people's resumes. Study the format, the content, plus other items that are missing, that you think ought to be found in a well-written resume (or a winning resume that would land a job). Focus on the resumes of those who are doing the same or similar job as yours. You will learn a lot from just reading them. Learn from the mistakes of those who came ahead of you, so to say. And learn to pay it forward to others, when you got the chance.
11) As much as possible, don't undersell your credentials, just as to fit in yourself for a job that you desperately need now. This entails editing out what you have so that you will fit in the typical candidate. If it is, then it's job that's not worth your salt (as they say). It's always best to show what you have to recruiters, which is a good test of someone who is confident and capable (traits that are helpful when times are tough, or when the going gets rough in any job). If you don't land a job where you have applied for, and you have hunch that you're overqualified, chances are, the job is best done by someone else (wish him / her luck, then). And then, you may need some other set of (which is best undertaken in another article) tips and tricks.
Happy job hunting!
Searching for a job in Singapore, you can search a list of available jobs at jobs bank Singapore.
An article by Dougles Chan - Search Engine Guru - One of the best SEO companies in Singapore and globally. Contact Dougles Chan @ +(65) 9388 0851 or email to dc@dougleschan.com for more information on how to make your website to be the top in Google.
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