How to Make a Killer Resume! One That Lands Interviews

How to Make a Killer Resume! One That Lands Interviews

by Talentese Team 05/01/2018

Don’t rely on so-called good resume templates – your CV should be individual!

You are probably a great person at work; hard-working, go-getting, ambitious and innovative! Your resume needs to portray this clearly! It has to leverage your work in such a way that you attract the attention of a recruiter instantly. A resume is the first document a potential employer sees.

Lots of people apply for the same job, so it is necessary to ensure your application shines the brightest. Your profile should be the best showcase of all your achievements, accomplishments, experience, awards and education. It should never be verbose and should always stick to all salient features of your work. If you need assistance, you can always check good resume templates.  You can see a wide range of good resume templates and make an informed choice.

Let see how we can attract recruiters to your resume

Expressive title.

Most people write a generalized title like, “Great in sales”. Instead, you could write something like, “Maximized sales target by 15%”. Make your title dynamic and eye catching! Ensure you research and add keywords to attract the attention of recruiters. Good resume templates can be modified to your liking. When applying for a specific job or title, read the job description carefully, and use those keywords in your title. This will showcase your career chart and key skills within few seconds.

Use keywords.

Use strategic keywords throughout your resume! Read and re-read the job description to get an idea of the keywords in the job description. Tailor your resume to contain all these keywords at least twice. Standard keywords used per profile are 4-5. Use these keywords liberally in generalized statements throughout your resume. This increases the strength of keywords in resume search engines for recruiters, thereby automatically improving chances of resume visibility (Forbes, 2014).

Use resume template – Word.

Utilize good resume templates from MS Word. Templates help understand the flow of resumes. A good resume template can work wonders for characterization required in structure. Remember – always format the template to fit your unique style of growth! Tailoring your resume to fit job description helps in boosting your chances of being selected for the interview. Format your profile to fit industry standards and do prior research on good resume templates.

Start with a precise summary.

Your leading summary should be a concise summation of your goals, achievements, attributes and recognitions. To catch a recruiter’s attention instantly always make your leading summary catchy, but precise. An ideal summary should be 3-4 sentences in length. This should be a professional introduction to your candidacy.

Stick to format – Always!

Resume templates – Word have very specific fonts and font sizes. The visually correct font will make your resume easier to read. Avoid using fancy and curlicue fonts as they are tougher to read. Recruiters reject applications if they have to concentrate to read fonts. All your hard work will be wasted if recruiters reject your application without even reading it. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, and Verdana are good to use. Avoid using fonts like Comic Sans, Times New Roman, and Courier. (Bloomberg, 2015). An ideal font size is 11 -12 with 1.5 line spacing. Use line breaks, italics, bullet points and tabs to make your profile more impactful, but don’t overdo it!

Use appropriate position statements.

Recruiters always like to scan documents to understand the depth of experience that candidates possess. At such times, it is essential to have correct position statements. Position statements must be precise and error free. They should be succinct with a broad overview of your scope of work. Use resume templates – Word to view where position statements are placed. Avoid verbose language and lengthy descriptions. An appropriate length of position statements should be 2-3 statements.

Achievements should be realistic.

Achievements should be realistic and quantifiable. Use bullet points to emphasize your job description outlining the focus point of each. Don’t write lengthy paragraphs. Check good resume templates to understand how to write achievements. For instance, a one liner bullet point could be ‘maximized sales output by 12% in the third quarter of 2016’. Your achievements should be meaningful to your professional experience. Don’t mention your part-time sports achievement in your current professional role. Quantify statements as far as possible throughout your document.

Educational Qualifications.

Educational qualifications should be placed after all work experience. Don’t go overboard in detailing your educational qualifications and merits. Keep it tabular in form. Check resume templates word to see which style best suits your requirement. List your degrees, relevant certifications, licensing and coursework in a precise and brief manner. Fresh graduates may also include educational achievements in summary to get an edge over other candidates.

Online Media presence:

While stating your skills and skill-sets, add links to any work previously published that may have relevance to the job being applied. Add the URLs of the websites where employers may view your work. Add links to your professional social media profiles like LinkedIn, but ensure that the same information is reflected in these profiles before linking them. Today, recruiters want candidates who are tech savvy and are able to network socially to improve their employee branding. (Inc., 2010).

Grammar matters:

Always get your resume proofread by a career guidance counselor to improve your chances of being selected. Avoid using verbosity in language while writing your professional resume. Ensure that the grammar usage is correct and there are no spelling mistakes. If your grammar is clear and concise, then the meaning of your statements becomes clearer to readers. (HuffingtonPost, 2013).

Direct recruiters’ attention to your resume and make it captivating! Make complete use of these strategies to attract the attention of recruiters to further your growth prospects. When you are interviewed, either by telephone or personally, remember all the keywords used, and the chronological order of information shared in your resume. Always ensure data is uniform across all media. Stay proactive and on the lookout for any new opportunities you may come across henceforth. All the best!

by Talentese Team 05/01/2018

Networking for Achievers!

Networking for Achievers!

by Talentese Team 19/12/2017

Do you want a better job? Are you hungry for a fast-paced career track? Networking is the key! Networking has become a professional necessity in today’s fast-paced world. Networking done right can mean your ticket into the upper echelon of professional elite – the ones who get better jobs just because they network spectacularly!

To further your career path and success, networking has become a vital tool for survival. Most people are more comfortable working with someone they are previously associated with. Career guidance counselors also suggest the best way forward is to build a successful network of high-performing peers. Networking can work wonders for employee branding and create excellent work opportunities!

Read further to become an ace networker.

Attend networking events.

Join your school and university alumni networks to meet old friends. Most times, these individuals are placed in keystone jobs with diverse organizations. Attend exhibitions and tradeshows to improve your networking skills (Forbes, 2012). The opportunity to meet new people can always be used to further your business deals, contracts and maybe, even land a better job opportunity. Career guidance counseling by career counseling for experienced professionals will assist you to understand the scalability of networking. Work on your employee branding by being part of online networking events on LinkedIn and via Twitter feeds (Times, 2009).

Be proactive.

Maintain constant touch with your fellow networkers. Staying on the fringe without actively participating and contributing to networking opportunities can work against you. Stay in touch through emails, blog posts, social networking sites and meeting people regularly. Strive to make a memorable impression wherever you are, and not just at networking meets. Consult a senior career guidance counselor to work on creating impressions. Build relationships with your colleagues, clients and fellow peers. Express yourself through constant proactive behavior (BBC, 2013).  Be actively involved in your personal employee branding with enthusiasm. Notice the difference it makes!

Approach decision makers.

Alright, we know this is tough. But don’t get scared. It’s not as difficult as it sounds. The fastest way to meet decision makers in any company is to network with employees already present there. Ask for an introduction, and you’re in! Another way would be to walk up to decision makers and ask for their insight on certain professional topics. Pique their interest, and they will remember you (Inc., 2013). Again, leave a lasting impression. Always keep in touch through emails, joining same space blogs, adding them to your LinkedIn profile and through emails. Seek career counseling for experienced professionals to frame excellent content.

Conduct prior research.

Whenever possible, try and get information on panelists or keystone speakers at networking events beforehand. Read up on their experience, background, and industry and find at least one or two common topics of interest. When you meet them for the first time, start with an informal chat about these common topics to break the ice successfully. Follow this protocol even while attending interviews to build rapport with your interviewer (Telegraph, 2012). Employee branding also improves as you showcase that you have hobbies and interests you are passionate about.

Don’t sell immediately.

Remember that everyone wants some benefit out of networking. Don’t start your discussion by introducing what you’re selling. Effective networking is not about selling products and services, it is about being impressionable. Most people find that they are able to get placed successfully through networking because they concentrate on their employee branding and not on job descriptions. Always ask questions related to business rather than only talking about you. Showcase the uniqueness of your employee branding through your ability to contribute to business discussions to get the job (Psychology, 2012). Career counseling for experienced professionals will help you in scaling your achievements to sound intuitive and non-boastful.

Keep expanding and updating your contacts.

As you network in the long run, you should continuously expand and update your contacts. Always remember, that this circle of networkers is going to be invaluable in helping you scales heights of growth. As you keep growing, your contacts and networking should also grow. Keep reassessing how you can improve your group and how it will benefit you in the future. Always keep your goal in mind, and work towards your personal employee branding with the help of a senior career guidance counselor.

Follow-up.

The easiest way to get a job is if people remember you. More the follow-up; better your employee recall! Build your reputation and employee branding by being persistent and available to discussion. Keep people informed about latest developments in your current job. One way to follow up is to send a thank you note the next day for their time and the lively discussion you had. Ensure this note is extremely respectful, yet professional. Invite them to connect with you informally or through online social media so that you can keep in regular touch. Career counseling for experienced professionals suggests that thank you notes ensure future connections will be received with open arms.

Use these networking tips in formal and informal settings to improve your social and professional standing. Constant use of networking will eventually graduate into instinctive habits and successful relationships. Employee branding improves and it becomes easier to propel yourself onto a successful career path. Remember to network to your strengths and connect with like-minded people. Establishing yourself and networking with amazing industry players will leverage your career to great heights!

by Talentese Team 19/12/2017