Article by: JD Harvill CPC
APICS Atlanta Career Center Administrator
Article appeared in the March 2009 APICS Atlanta Newsletter
Perhaps you’ve been
trained to prepare a resume that is attractive to look at, easy
to read, and as catchy as your particular profession will allow.
But, is your fantastic formatting getting you the right
level of attention?
Is the fine tuning of the language you use getting you past the
gatekeepers both human and computer?
Usual Priorities
-
Attractive to look at
-
Easy to read
-
Career Growth
-
Keywords
Generally speaking a
simple yet elegant resume is best! (TWO PAGES MAXIMUM)
So,
unless you are putting your printed resume into the hands of the actual hiring
official (which we suggest strongly), you should be aware that it is likely a
computer, rather than a human being, will be the first to screen its details.
If you
fill out an online application and attach your resume, there will probably be a
database program with resume scrubbing software that will pull out keywords and
capture basic information. In the
case of Monster applications, the recruiting team that places the ads can set
guidelines that will entirely screen out the candidates that don’t meet certain
criteria, or relegate them to a second and third priority pile.
And don’t
think that a faxed or snail mail resume will get better treatment, because OCR
software and keyword screening tools will stilly typically be in place to
analyze the data scrubbed from these formats.
So the
point is, you need to make sure that you have your best set of keywords properly
placed into your resume (as well as your Monster and/or LinkedIn profiles) so
that search engines, recruiters, and even hiring officials can find you when
they need you.
As often
as possible your keywords should be in concise english sentences, or bullet
points below the jobs where they were acquired, and there should also be
examples of quantifiable success stories with each job as well.
As an
example, you don’t want to just add Six Sigma Black Belt to your education
section when what you really need to communicate is:
“I completed Six Sigma training, and earned my Black Belt, by completing
a Lean Manufacturing process improvement project that saved the company $20,000
through a 40% reduction in scrap.”
Or:
-
Earned Six Sigma Black Belt
-
Projects related to Lean Manufacturing process improvements
-
Saved $20,000 through a 40% reduction in Scrap
And then
feel free to add Six Sigma Black Belt to your eduction section as well (if you
have space in your TWO PAGE limit).
Make sure
you spell out keywords several ways if you can, highlighting both the full
english name of a program as well as the abbreviations, especially if your
company has its own proprietary names for programs.
As an
example a Bachelor of Science Degree in Supply Chain Management should be
written out in full english, but also abbreviated as BS Supply Chain if you have
space for it.
If you’ve
had a decent career path you should definitely keep your resume inverse
chronological. This format will
display your career momentum in the best light, and drive interested hiring
officials to give you consideration.
A career
that has been less focused might benefit from a creative structure, but concise
sentences and quantifiable success should still be key parts of the document.
If you
have been trained to use tables or columns to create attractive formats, be
warned that some software still has difficulty interpreting the proper order to
address text within these structures.
And unusual fonts, graphics, floating text boxes, all may look exciting,
but will probably cause the computers some trouble.
So if you
reprioritize the writing of your resume, and test every paragraph against the
following guidelines you might be able to create a more successful result:
New
Priorities
And if you can get
your printed resume directly into the hands of the manager who will be paying
your salary, you have the best possible chance of getting the results you want.
JD Harvill CPC, APICS Career Center
Administrator, can be contacted at 770 952-0009, jdharvill@psa-recruit.com or visit their website at
www.professionalsearchatlanta.com.
TESTIMONIAL
"JD wrote an excellent article this month and I'm already using his advice -- it's working!"
William Hughes
