How to Sell Yourself on Paper
Let’s face it: jobs can be pretty challenging to land if you don’t impress the recruiter. First impressions begin long before meeting face to face. The selection process starts the moment you send in your resume. So, what are you doing to make your credentials stand out on paper? Studies show women face more discrimination in the hiring process which means you need to stand out even more. It’s essential to be as prepared and polished as possible to set yourself up for success.
Here are 4 tips and tricks (as well as resources The BRICC Foundry has to offer) to help you spruce up your resume so you can wow recruiters and get past those pesky ATS bots!
1: Wordsmith & Proofread
Words matter. And, I can bet that the biggest turn off for recruiters are resumes riddled with spelling errors and boring narratives. With grammatical mistakes and typos, it will appear you have just thrown your application together and didn’t put much intention into it. This may give the impression of poor time management and organization skills to the hiring manager. So, make sure you adequately prepare your application and proofread before submitting.
PRO TIP: Include accomplishments and qualitative bullet points to show you off as an achiever rather than a doer!
“On a resume or in a job interview, everyone is a team player. Everyone is a go-getter who thinks outside the box. Everyone is detail-oriented and results-driven. Of course these are desirable traits — that’s why they’ve become cliches.”
2: Organize Your Document Creatively
Of course, there is a certain level of professionalism you want to maintain when building your resume, but it’s okay to change things up to minimize the white space on your document. Get creative with section headers to highlight your unique professional history — such as relevant coursework, community service, professional associations, and awards. Having a unique resume will not only make you memorable to the employer, but it shows that you can think outside the box. However, hold off on hard to read fonts and complex layouts to avoid overwhelming prospective employers.
PRO TIP: No headshots on your resume. It distracts from your skills, can lead to discrimination, and may be hard for applicant tracking systems to read.
3: Become Familiar with ATS Scans
Did you know that 70% of job applications aren’t read at all? ATS, also known as the Application Tracking System, is a software that enables companies to filter out resumes based on their set criteria. And a whopping 90% of large companies are using it for hiring purposes. From ranking submitted applications to outright deleting them, this type of tech sometimes weeds out viable candidates based solely on their resume. Keeping this in mind while designing your resume is key to overcoming this barrier. When applying for jobs, it’s wise to include keywords that are used in that industry (such as “strategic planning” or “change management”).
PRO TIP: Mirror phrases in the job description to minimize the chances of your resume filtering out, and increase the chances to land an interview!
4: Work With An Experienced Resume Builder
In today’s society, there are plenty of people who are qualified to review your resume and give you credible feedback. The biggest differentiator boils down to the resources and tools they use. Not only does The BRICC Foundry assist with reviewing resumes, and provide free templates, but we also partner with Jobscan.co to offer free ATS scans. This will give you a sneak peak of what recruiters see when you submit your resume. These insights can be a difference maker when crafting your resume.
PRO TIP: Let experts at The BRICC Foundry proofread & review your resume! Send your resume to StartWithUs@BRICCFoundry.org.
Although I only touched on a few essential tips, explore all of your available options so you can find what fits your career experience and personal brand best. If you need any assistance or have questions regarding the resume/application process, The BRICC Foundry is here to help you become prim, polished, and ready to interview.
Good luck!
- A’Mya