Throughout our lives, we’ve sent hundreds and hundreds of resumes with most of them having an unsuccessful outcome. In other words, we didn’t get the job. Which for most of the applications we’ve sent through time, we probably weren’t overly concerned about whether or not we land the job. However, what if you had to send a resume to a job posting which was your dream job? Are you just going to send any regular old resume to them? Probably not. Of course, your resume is essential as it’s an overview of what you’ve done and who you are but it’s much more than that.
As said before, your resume is a screenshot of who you are, it’s a quick first impression prior to a recruiter giving you a phone call to ask you for an interview. On average, recruiters will spend an average of six seconds reading your resume. Six seconds. Within this time, recruiters scan your resume, seeing if anything catches their eyes. If there’s something which brings to their attention, it’ll make them look closer at your profile. This is why you need an effective resume exposing your skills and qualifications. The great part about resumes, in general, are that you’re able to tailor them to each particular job application. If your resume isn’t tailored to a specific job application, it appears as though you’ve mass sent applications out – regardless if you have or haven’t. On a basic level, this is what prevents recruiters from looking further into your application. If you’re not tailoring your resume to suit the job’s requirements, then your resume will look standard and generic – two factors which won’t land you your dream job. So, naturally, what you write on your resume is important, however, that’s only if they look at you resume for longer than six seconds. If you’re trying to land your dream job, there are some things you should be focusing on so that recruiters will take a closer look at your resume. For now, though it’s about what you have written on your resume, what also matters is how your resume looks.
If you’re unsure how your resume should look, then, the easiest way to clean things up is to get yourself a resume template. With a resume template, it’ll help you to decide on which layout suits not only your personality but the field you’re applying to. In addition, it’ll organize the information you’d like to include on your resume. You’ll be able to switch information, change the font and style on your resume as much as you’d like.
But let’s look beyond this. Your resume is clean, sleek and informative, catching the eyes of a recruiter. What happens next? You get a phone call for an interview for your dream job. But this is where your resume won’t do the work for you, which is why though your resume is important, what really determines if you get the job or not is the in-person interview. While you’re at the interview, there are crucial points which you should incorporate into the interview which will help you land your dream job.
- Your Story: Within the first couple minutes of an interview, most recruiters will ask you to tell them about yourself. Yes, the question has been asked and asked thousands of time, yet, it’s extremely important that you develop your own personal narrative. Recruiters want to hear your resume come from you. Your own personal narratives will help to shape a better picture of yourself, plus, if you add any information, they’ll be able to ask further questions to better understand who’s sitting in front of them.
- Express Gratitude: You may have rocked your job interview and your resume was presented flawlessly but the interview doesn’t end the minute you walk out of the building. After the interview, it’s important that you show gratitude towards your recruiter. Don’t wait days to write them, after the interview, within 24 hours, send them an e-mail expressing your appreciation for the interview. Of course, it’s thoughtful and memorable, but also provides you with a direct link to contact for them to reach you at.
- Show Your Skills: In your resume, it’s typical for people to write about their skills, education, and experiences. However, you’re not able to show your skills and qualifications. If you’re applying to a field which, for example, is in graphic design, at your interview, you should have a portfolio prepared to show your skills. Now with technology, you’ll be able to incorporate them into your interview. You can have digital portfolios and personal websites which will allow the recruiter to take a hands-on look at your previous work.
- Clean Up Your Social Media: Many companies now are looking at candidates social media to help give them a better perspective of who they are. In this case, you’ll want to make sure you have an updated Linkedin and a cleaned up Facebook etc. The point is, you’ll be able to use social media as a way to show recruiters who you are.
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