Is your resume a hot mess? Let's make it attractive then. ☺️

Meet the recruiters:

Now before you start taking notes, please know that the information we are sharing is coming from a recruiter POV. Whatever you do with that information is on you. This advice is not guaranteed to get you a job, but it may up the chance of your resume getting noticed, which means an interview request may be coming to your email soon. Throughout these next weeks you will be getting different perspectives from multiple recruiters.

Let’s get started..

How many sections are on your resume?

If this is you, then that means that there are too many sections and it’s time to cut it.

There are so many wannabe recruiters out there giving bad advice to jobseekers, and all honesty, they are just throwing spaghetti to the wall and see what sticks.

Let’s hear what our recruiter friends have to say about this…

Rochelle: “It takes me a couple minutes to read a resume. I am looking at your degree, work experience, geographical location, checking your LinkedIn.”

Keir: “Your resume needs to be easy to read and have an easy-to-follow flow. I see so many resumes with strange formatting (photos, columns on the sides, grids, etc). I would recommend avoiding those.” Provide a clear and brief summary statement of you as a candidate (skills relevant to role)

• Use the same font throughout the entire document. You can bold and change size. Just don't use multiple fonts. 

• Use bullet points to highlight the most important elements of each role, the primary skills used, and any metrics met or exceeded

• Try to keep it to two pages. A recruiter typically doesn't need to know what you did over 10-15 years ago”

What are recruiters looking for when they are viewing your resume?

Rochelle: “When I’m going through a resume, I am looking for what impact you had in each role. I don’t want to see generic bullet points, I specifically want to see where you saved the client money and or time. If you hold chair positions internally, tell me more about that. If you have any certifications or specific experience. A lot of the roles I work on are technical, so looking for coding language experience, Salesforce Certifications, etc.

How should someone tailor their resume to their job search?

Rochelle: “You always need to tailor your resume for the specific job you’re applying to. There’s nothing worse than looking at a resume that has nothing to do with the job description I am hiring for. If the job description says you will have to lead a team, make sure your resume speaks to that ability in some capacity. Just because you may not have leadership in your day-to-day role doesn’t mean you can’t fulfill in other areas, maybe as a chair of an internal ERG or a volunteer organization you’ve been a part of.”

What else do you think would be helpful for our jobseeker friends to know when it comes to resumes?

Rochelle: “ Don’t be so transactional with Recruiters and Hiring Managers. I promise you we remember candidates who treat us like a person. Sometimes that first role doesn’t work out, but if you’ve created a relationship with a HM or Recruiter when a job opens up you’ll be their first call. Those have been some of my greatest success stories.”

Keir: “Keep it simple, sell yourself, and what makes YOU a great candidate! This is your chance to shine and showcase why you're a great fit for the role you're applying for.”

P.S. This is part 1 of my recruiter tea series. I will be releasing new tea from different recruiters over the next few weeks.

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