“I have sent more resumes than I care to admit, and no one calls!!”

Does this sound familiar? You have spent hours making your resume represent you as good as you think it can. You have diligently poured over job offerings, chosen those which match your skills then sent out dozens of resumes. A week or two passes, but you fail to get even one request for an interview.

There is little more that will knock the wind from your sales than putting time and effort into your job search and getting zilch. That deflated feeling can put you at a loss – emotionally, as well as making you feel powerless as to what next to do.

So, dust yourself off, take a deep cleansing breath, and get ready to start over with some new ideas, because a lack of invitations for interviews usually means you need to revisit your resume.

Here are four ways to make it shine so you’re better positioned to pass the job screener’s “six-second test” and make it from the slush pile into the viable pile.

1. Formatting

Nothing grabs attention faster than a professional, well-formatted resume with the emphasis on content. Make your content sing by keeping it clean and simple – putting the critical information in a format that:

  • Is easy to read
  • Draws the reader’s eye through the entire document
  • Makes the important stuff stand out – bold those headings
  • Has purposeful white space
  • Uses bullets where appropriate to help pertinent information stand out.

The screener’s eye will automatically draw down the left side of the page, so use bolded headings with attention-grabbing keywords that entice the viewer to read the rest of the content in that section.

The screener may be a machine rather than a person, and there are many resumes to review. The cleaner and easier to read it is, the better your chances. Use no more than two font styles and keep the point sizes to a 10 or 12-point size.

2. Editing and keywords

Remember; your resume is not curriculum vitae, so keep it to a maximum of two pages.

Remember – professional format entices, but your content is the foundation. Rather than merely stating your responsibilities, describe how well you’ve done your tasks, backing it up with results. Write in a way that would make an employer excited to speak with you. Without overstating your achievements, make yourself stand out from the mediocre.

  • If you don’t have quantitative accomplishments to include, you can capitalize on an endorsement from a previous employer or supervisor, such as . . . “resolved a 3-day backlog of work in 8 hours.”
  • Use social media endorsements, letters of reference, previous performance reviews or whatever best recommends you.
  • Scatter keywords throughout your resume that will both ping a screening machine or a human reader’s eyes.

3. Order of information

Do not list an objective at the top of your resume as the recruiter will know what job you are applying for; rather, put a statement that defines you at the top, such as  “Exemplary problem-solver, administrative whiz, insightful.”

Follow that with experience – using keywords, of course – that matches what the job description indicates, concerning the role for which you are applying. For example, don’t start with your technical experience if the description asks for a supervisor. Put your supervisory experience first with a bullet or two of details. Show your most relevant experience first.

4. Make those six seconds work for you

Put yourself in a screener’s shoes. Take a critical gander at your revised resume. Would you invite you for an interview? When you can answer “yes,” then you are almost ready.

Before you send, it is imperative that each resume and cover letter be individually tailored to the job for which you are responding. Take the time to make it personal. It may be an employee market, but you still need to present your best self. Anything less tells an employer you may not be worth his/her time.

Professional, well-formatted solid content wins because it is . . . professional, well-formatted solid content,

Looking for professional assistance to brush up your resume? Contact Robbins Staffing and ask about these services from a Certified Resume Writer. And when your resume is ready, we specialize in connecting job seekers with open positions and quality companies. Contact us today.