In a world where there are potentially hundreds of applicants per position, the best opportunity you have to get noticed is your resume.
This post will not help you “hack the ATS” or do any of the other things that career coaches are selling on LinkedIn, but will instead help you see your resume from the eyes of a recruiter.
In this job market I continue to hear the same thing: “The job search is a numbers game. Throw as many lines in the water and see what sticks”.
As a job seeker a few years ago, I had the same thought process. Knowing what I know now, that approach was a little flawed.
I applied for every role I was interested in with little regard to the requirements section. I submitted the same resume over and over, without any thought on how I could tweak my experience toward what they were looking for.
As a recruiter, I see this all the time. A candidate applying for a help desk job has a resume that only speaks toward their goals and skills in software development, with the objective of finding a software development job. A candidate applying to an entry level IT position with no demonstration of previous experience, certifications, or education in IT.
While it's not always right, a recruiter will pursue the 20 candidates that match the position over the 100 that don't. After all, your resume is often the one opportunity you get to be noticed for the role.
Looking back at my old resume, I can see why I didn’t gain much traction. I focused on tasks performed in the job vs. translatable skills. I didn’t realize that the skills I had could be re-framed in another way, and that the work I did went beyond my standard job description. My resume was a one size fits all approach.
My job prior to this role was a Client Coordinator at a financial planning firm, ultimately working to gain new clients for the firm while maintaining existing relationships of those already working with us.
Following that role, I identified that a recruiting job seemed like the right fit for me. Could I have truly told you why? Absolutely not. But somehow, I hit the nail on the head.
There were numerous skills that translated between my current experience and my desired next role. My resume reflected none of it. After all, the job offer I received for my current company was a role I was recruited into.
Here’s what I had listed on my resume:
Managed and maintained positive relationships with 300 potential and current clients by providing an excellent experience
Worked directly with advisors, managed their schedule and tasks, and communicated with the processing team to guarantee paperwork was processed efficiently
Stayed connected with prospective clients to schedule visits and establish relationships
Coordinated retirement course marketing events; organized registration, confirmed event reservations, and followed up after the event to receive feedback
Here are the bullet points of the job I do now:
Qualifications
Enthusiasm to network and build strong relationships with others while maintaining high ethical standards
The preference and ability to work in a team environment and the ability to relate openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people
A desire for a career in a commission driven, performance-based environment where it is necessary to quickly and consistently identify and pursue beneficial new opportunities
Excellent written and oral communication skills that are leveraged to seek out others' perspectives by asking good questions
An eagerness to learn is necessary with enthusiasm to experiment to find best possible solutions
Responsibilities
Recruit top IT consultants and serve as the main point of contact throughout the entire recruiting experience cycle
Build and maintain relationships with consultant including outbound calling to match them with the best opportunities
Understand our clients' business and IT initiatives, as well as their specific technical and cultural environments to best match the career goals of consultants with their hiring needs
Knowing what I know now, here’s how I could’ve tweaked it to fit the job I’m in today:
Cold called and emailed prospective clients with the end goal of scheduling financial planning meetings with the firm.
Built, managed, and maintained positive relationships with over 300 potential and current clients through various touchpoints, addressing questions, concerns, and needs via email and phone.
Worked as a member of a team coordinating with advisors and the paperwork processing team to effectively support current clients.
Despite my lack of actual recruiting experience, I had so many experiences I could draw from to showcase my qualifications such as cold calling and prospecting, building and maintaining relationships, and working as a member of a team. Within a few minutes, I took what I already had and framed it to the role I was applying for.
Will this work 100% of the time? Absolutely not. But what it will do is help you effectively assess your match to the position, and demonstrate that match back to the recruiter or hiring manager reviewing your application.
As a recruiter reviewing applications, I take the qualifications/skills section and look for those things on the resume.
If the skills section asks for 5+ years of experience in IT Support, that’s what I look for demonstrated on the resume.
If the skills section requires an associate’s degree in X, I review against that criteria.
If the job requires someone located in a specific location, I look for the state they’re located in or if they indicate they’re relocating.
Obviously there are exceptions in every case but if what's required isn't listed, it just won’t align with what I’m hiring for.
To wrap this up, here are my tips:
Match what the position asks for with what skills and qualifications you have. Don’t reinvent the wheel - use what you have and build on it. Give yourself credit for what you’ve done and how you fit.
Use the job description to rule yourself in or out. Pay attention to what they’re asking for. Does this fit well, is it a stretch, or is it completely out of the realm of possibilities?
P.S. If you ever get the advice to write the skills they ask for in white font to “hack the ATS”, know that advice is founded by someone who has never recruited before. If you have to hide words to fit the job description, ask yourself if you can instead write them into your actual resume.
This article is my own and does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of TEKsystems.
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