10 things to do when your resume fails you

Job hunting is one of the toughest activities you will be doing as a professional. It becomes even tougher when your resume keeps getting you rejected from opportunities that you are well-qualified for. If you ever find yourself wondering whether your resume is failing you, we have ten excellent tips that can help you get your job search back on track:

Get a professional review

First things first. You must initially identify what is wrong with your resume. The best way to do this is to do a self-assessment followed by the opinion of a professional. We recommend getting the assistance of a certified professional resume writer. A Resume Mansion, we have a team of professional resume writers who are always ready to help you out with a comprehensive resume review.

Optimize for the ATS

Did you know that more than 70% of resumes get rejected by employers because they are not ATS-friendly? A majority of US employers use ATSs to sort through job applications. If your resume does not use an ATS-friendly format, you may end up getting rejected from the first round of screening tests. Even if your resume template is ATS-friendly, you may still not get noticed by employers if you don’t optimize your resume with the right keywords from the job description.

Tailor your resume

One of the biggest reasons why resumes fail is because of the lack of customization. If you have the habit of sending out the same resume for all your job applications, you will definitely find yourself getting more rejections than positive answers. The key is to tailor your resume to the job description of every position that you apply for.

Add a resume summary

Although we mention it here, this step should be done last. A resume summary is a concise paragraph or statement that highlights your biggest selling points. Usually, a resume summary is between two and four lines. Depending on your needs, you can make it a bit longer. However, we recommend not making it too long to retain the attention of hiring managers. A resume summary statement mentions a few things such as

• Your years of experience
• Your target job title
• A brief description of your career so far
• Your best hard and soft skills related to the job
• One or two professional achievements related to the job
• Your unique value proposition

Highlight your soft skills too

Don’t make the mistake of talking about only your hard skills when writing a resume. Your soft skills matter a lot when it comes to making hiring decisions. Read the employer’s job description thoroughly. Have they mentioned a specific set of soft skills? If so, you must incorporate them into the skills section of your resume. But what do you do if the employer has not specified any soft skills in the job description? You can still add a few to reflect how well you perform as a part of a team. Here are some examples of soft skills that are useful for almost any job:

• Communication
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Adaptability
• Problem-Solving
• Time Management
• Emotional Intelligence (EQ)
• Creativity
• Leadership
• Conflict Resolution
• Work Ethic

Use your LinkedIn profile

Gone are the days of mailing your physical resume to the employer’s address when you apply for a job. Today, we all apply for jobs digitally. One of the biggest advantages of having an electronic resume is that you can link your resume to various places online that exhibit your range of skills and experiences. Adding a link to your LinkedIn profile to your resume is one of the easiest ways to improve the value of your resume. While your resume has to stay concise, your LinkedIn profile does not. Therefore, you can highlight parts of your career that would otherwise never be mentioned on your resume through your LinkedIn profile. Also, ensure that your LinkedIn profile is keyword-optimized for your target role.

Revamp your resume design

Are you still using a resume design from several years ago? Then, your resume might look outdated in the modern job market. If a hiring manager looks upon your resume and sees an outdated format, the first impression they have of you will not be a positive one. You can impress hiring managers with the visual appeal of your resume when you choose a modern design. Modern resumes are built to be clean, clear, and simple. These resumes are easy to read and navigate. They also use minimalistic design elements so that the document stays ATS-friendly. You can either use a modern resume template from the internet or create your own from scratch.

Create a cover letter

Even if the employer has not demanded that you send in a cover letter with the job application, it is a good idea to write one. The cover letter is the best place to showcase how you are the best fit for a position. You can write a matching cover letter for your job applications and include the relevant keywords in it to stand out from the other candidates.

Highlight your accomplishments, not duties

Many job seekers make the entire focus of their resume the work experience section and fill it up with long lists of job duties. These job duties add no real value to your resume. If a hiring manager wants to know the exact role of a position, they can utilize the internet to find that information. What your resume must do is, present the information that they can’t find out about the role you performed. These include the many professional achievements you earned while performing there.

Most importantly, follow up

Sometimes, your resume might not have anything wrong with it and you might still get rejected from jobs. One thing you must understand is that different employers have different approaches to finding the perfect candidate for their vacancy. Some may take it as a sign that you’re not interested in the job if you don’t follow up after the application in a few days. Here’s what you can do:

• Wait a week after applying and send an inquiry email about your job application
• Speak to the HR department and offer to provide any additional info needed
• Connect with the hiring manager on LinkedIn and let them know that you’re interested

By?Resume Mansion