Tag Archives: resumes that win interviews

Are Applicant Tracking Systems Rigged Against Jobseekers?

It’s a fact – if your resume does not make it through an employer’s Applicant Tracking System, it’s like you never even applied for the job. Is your resume making it through the Applicant Tracking System?

Too often, Applicant Tracking Systems make life difficult for jobseekers. But once you know how they work, you can use them to your advantage and they will no longer be a barrier to your job search. Not sure what this is all about? They can be confusing and continually evolve, which is why I research, take frequent training and test out the systems myself.

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The Benefits of Working with a Career Coach

There is a great deal of hiring taking place in early 2016, but the competition for top jobs is fierce. As the confidence in the job market rises, jobseekers in transition must compete with people who are employed full-time but looking for a better position. You do not have to go through this alone. A career coach can help you gain the competitive EDGE.

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Working with a career coach can accelerate your job search results and reduce the frustration typically experienced in a DIY job search. Offering insightful guidance, I will help you navigate the “hidden job market” to find the right opportunities, and develop a structured job search plan that breaks down the overwhelming process into manageable steps. Hiring a career coach provides a significant ROI. Typically, my clients win more job interviews and land job offers with attractive compensation packages. Continue reading

Quick Resume Tips for the 2016 Hiring Boom

Is your resume winning you interviews? If not, here are some quick resume tips to take advantage of the 2016 hiring boom.  best 2016 resume tips

Resumes have evolved tremendously over the last few years, and outdated documents simply don’t win interviews. In today’s competitive job market, your resume must set you apart from the other candidates. A few key points:

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Your Resume is a Valuable Marketing Tool

Welcome to Part I of my summer 2015 blog series on what it takes to conduct a successful job search in today’s competitive job market. I know it can be frustrating, so each week I will offer insight on another piece of the job search puzzle. This week, the all-important resume.frustratedjobseeeker- male

There is no denying that a strong resume is key to a successful job search, but it takes more than a professional-looking document to land a job today. Rather than your autobiography, your resume is a forward-facing marketing document that needs to position you for that next job. Employers are not looking for a jack-of-all-trades; they are looking for a   Continue reading

Top 5 Buzzwords to Ban from Your Resume

Guest post by Amy Klimek, VP of Human Resources for ZipRecruiter

So you took some time and put together a half-decent resume. You’ve glossed over it time and time again, making sure you are represented well and removing any mistakes or typos. Even if you whittled it down to a single page, it still might have a lot of the bugs that live in most resumes that make potential bosses fall over in boredom. Buzzwords. buzzwords

Vicky Oliver, author of the book Power Sales Words, had this to say: “Stringing together sentences of meaningless words isn’t fooling anyone, even if they sound good. You need to get rid of them.” Buzzwords are your enemy and if you desire to stand out from the pack, you need to learn how to locate and remove them from your resume. Here is a list of five buzzwords you can remove right now to give yourself the advantage. Continue reading

How Does Your Resume Rate Against The Competition’s?

September is International Update Your Resume Month and the perfect time to update your resume as many companies renew their hiring efforts for 4th quarter deliverables. As the kids head back to school, you can refocus your time on your career development.2013 resume e-book thumbnail

How old is your resume? If it has not been updated in the last year or two, odds are it is outdated and not winning you interviews.   A fresh resume can be just what you need to jump-start a stalled job search. As you read job postings, capture key words and phrases to add to your resume keep the language of your resume current. Most importantly, make sure your resume is compatible with the Applicant Tracking Systems many employers use today, to avoid the “resume black hole”. Otherwise, no human being will ever read your resume.

Even if you are not currently conducting a job search, you should treat your resume as a living document, Continue reading

Why You Should NOT Use a Functional Resume

I have covered this topic before, but am frequently asked about functional resumes by jobseekers, so I figured I’d address them again here. I strongly advise against using a functional resume. Period.

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Most recruiters and hiring managers do not like functional resumes. They are more difficult to read, and immediately raise a red flag. The reader asks him/herself “What is the candidate trying to hide by grouping together their competencies and not showing me what they did where? A gap in employment, excessive job jumping or lack of experience?” Regardless of your reason for using a functional resume, you are doing yourself a disservice. The last thing you want to do is cause any negative feelings — and confusion is a negative feeling. You want the reader of your resume to feel nothing but positive feelings. The goal of your resume is to pique the interest of the reader and entice them to invite you in for an interview, right? So, don’t annoy them. Make it easy for them to see the value you would add to their team.

If you are using a functional resume because you were advised to do so — find a better source of employment advice. Ask someone who has been trained in effective resume writing within the last few years, because the resume world has drastically changed. If you are trying to hide any of the fore mentioned scenarios, it won’t work. The hiring manager will see it anyhow, so it is better not to attempt to hide it. You should address anything that an employer may see as negative in your cover letter. Explain it simply and let the employer know why it will not be a problem. They just might appreciate your honesty and directness.

I won’t even write a functional resume. If a client comes to me requesting a functional resume because they want to change careers or get back to something they enjoyed doing in the past, I show them how we can effectively sell them with the traditional reverse chronological resume. Still not convinced? Give me a call and I’d be glad to discuss it. 860-658-6480.

Trish Thomas founded The Resume Resource in 2009 to help people advance their careers with rewarding jobs that provide more than just a paycheck. As a Career Coach and Resume Writer, she provides her clients with the tools and strategies needed to achieve their goals and guides them through the job search process to make it less overwhelming and more successful.

Does Your Resume Read Like an Obituary?

Resumes changed 180 degrees a few years ago due to the highly competitive job market and Applicant Tracking System technology. Jobseekers must update their  resume language and formatting to take advantage of all the hiring going on right now and avoid the dreaded “Resume Black Hole.

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Trish Thomas founded The Resume Resource in 2009 to help people advance their careers with rewarding jobs that provide more than just a paycheck. As a Career Coach and Resume Writer, she takes the time to get to know each of her clients and guides them through the job search process to make it less overwhelming and more successful.