Does your resume give a 1-2 punch or is it being KNOCKED out by ATS?
I’m going to help you fix that with ONE, easy TRICK.
Yes, just one.
I know you have heard that you have to show, not just tell, on a resume. If anything – I know you have heard me say that often… METRICS. The best way to show how you did something and what you achieved.
But today, we are not going to talk metrics.
I know… major shocker. Amanda, not talk metrics?
Is she sick? Haha Nope.
Lately, I have seen so many resumes that have the most generic keywords. The content and phrases on the resume also don’t match up to the industry or position they are aiming for. This is BIG time major folks.
Wording on a resume is just as important as telling your story in a way that brings out all your WOW factors.
Metrics, I love them. Your resume needs them. Recruiters and Hiring Mangers CRAVE them.
But if you don’t get the right keywords on your resume, why are you even applying?
I don’t mean to be a total killjoy, I really don’t. The reason I do what I do is to help job seekers. I love what I do too!
But if you are not putting the right keywords on your resume, I totally understand why you are getting frustrated with the job search, and recruiters are ghosting you and you have interviews that go nowhere.
I know what you are thinking… “Amanda, can this be fixed? How can I make sure my resume has the RIGHT keywords and not just generic BS keywords.”
Ready for the single biggest resume trick you are missing out on?
The key here is to tailor your resume to the words used in the job descriptions.
I know what you are thinking – you are going to have to rewrite the resume for every single job you apply for.
No. Breathe.
Seriously. Breathe.
You definitely do not have to have multiple versions or rewrite it for every position.
Here’s the thing, recruiters entered in specific keywords for you. FOR YOU.
Yes, they are not only stating exactly who they are looking for, and what skills are important to them, but they are also utilizing WORDS and PHRASES that are a total cheat sheet for you to include in your resume. Wasn’t that nice of them?
But seriously, this is the most underutilized scope for all job seekers. I’m shocked how many don’t know of this cool trick.
Read thru the job description. The phrases and wording used there is what they are seeking in a candidate. Do those exact words and phrases appear in your resume? I don’t mean in just a keyword section or ghastly hidden white text… I mean is it in the context of the resume? It should be.
The whole concept of ATS sucks. Period.
It is horrible that a robot-computer-bot thing is what scans our resumes. It makes us feel shitty. Let’s just be honest.
BUT if you can just give the computer EXACTLY what it wants, you will get to talk to recruiters and get into the interview with hiring managers.
Oh and one final thing to keep in mind: Say you have a TON of CRM experience. All kinds of platforms. So you list CRM on your resume.
That’s great right?
Yes, and No.
What did the job listing say? Do they say CRM or do they specifically list things like Salesforce? If they list Salesforce – list it as that, not just CRM.
With every opportunity, use the lingo from the job description. Tweak for each resume too.
Oh and similarly, same thing goes for things like an MBA… write out Master of Business Administration (MBA) — just to make sure you hit both options.
Yes, it really is that crazy, silly, insane, but now you know and knowing is half the battle.
Amanda OUT.
