4 Resume Tips that will Earn You an Interview

Are you in the search for a new job?  If so, then you need to know how to fine craft the weapon to gain those elusive interviews.  That weapon is your resume.

Your resume has to stand out against plenty of others to make it to the top of the pile. You must encapsulate on paper your background, education, work history, skills and primary attributes to catch the staffing recruiter’s interest.

Does it sound like a daunting task?  Well, it doesn’t have to be if you know the 4 following items that a recruiter looks for in the resume.

1. Length and Format

One of the common misconceptions that people have is that a resume has to be more than one page.  Employment agencies and staffing companies are busy places.  A succinct resume, highlighting your skills and experiences, will catch the eye of the staffing agency recruiter.  A single-page resume is sufficient if it highlights your talents and skills using key words.

2. Skill Set

Your skill set is very important to employers and should be highlighted in your resume. These skills should reflect the qualifications that are stated in the job description.  For example, if you’re applying for a position as an assembler, the skills required might read “…must be mechanically inclined…”  This phrase should be included on your resume.

3. Keywords

Due to the high volume of resumes that are received and maintained by Human Resource departments, most employment companies use Resume Scanner Software.  This tool scans resumes for key words and phrases that are pertinent to the job they are working to fill.

If your resume does not include these keywords, the software program will eliminate your resume for that particular position, and the hiring company will have never seen it.

4. Resume Title and Summary

The use of a resume title is to target a specific position you are seeking; thereby peaking the staffing manager’s interest. The title can be followed by a brief summary of your experience. Example:

Buyer    (This is the title)

Over 12 years of vendor management, contract negotiation and project management.  (Summary)

You can elaborate a bit more on your resume summary (the paragraph beneath the title), but try to keep it to only two or three lines.  Be sure to highlight those skills and capabilities that will make you stand out to the staffing recruiter.

Once you have a base resume designed, you can customize it meet the individual requirements of other similar positions. Check out the available jobs at American StaffCorp to get started on your job search today.