7 Steps to Writing a Resume That Beats Application Tracking Systems

7 Steps to Writing a Resume That Beats Application Tracking Systems Search through millions of job board postings and classified ads? Check. Update your resume? Check. Fill out the online application? Check. Hit ‘submit’ and send your resume out into cyber space? Check. Hear back from your dream job? Nope.  What happened?! We can only go through the above sequence so many times before we totally lose our enthusiasm and self-confidence. We do everything right, but job applications keep going out with no prospects coming in. Why does this happen over and over again? On average, 72% of all submitted resumes are never seen by a human eye. Companies have started using something called application tracking systems â€" computer software programs designed to do all the heavy lifting for the HR department. These application tracking systems analyze all incoming resumes. They scan the information and award a score to each applicant based on how well they fit the job description. After ranking all the candidates, the highest scores will move on to the next stage of the hiring process. Everyone else is tossed on the trash heap. How can you ensure you are part of the 28% that moves on? Here are seven steps to write your resume and overcome application tracking systems: 1) Find your keywords: There are a lot of things that will make or break your application. However, one of the biggest factors is keywords. The application tracking system will specifically look for the keywords that were shared in the job description. These absolutely must be included. Applicants with tons of experience and all the necessary qualifications will be passed by if they didn’t include keywords. Get the job description out and find all the keywords. You’ll be looking for specific industry terms, abbreviations, acronyms, buzzwords, and jargon. Once you have a list of keywords from the job posting, go one step further. Find five other job postings that are similar to the one you are applying for. Check for key terms in those postings too. If you find new keywords that weren’t in your original list, include those in your resume too â€" just to be on the safe side. 2) Start with a blank page: Even if you already have a resume made, it might be best to write it from scratch. Basically, everything you have already done is probably wrong. First, fight the urge to make your resume look pretty. Don’t include images, borders, shading or anything fancy. The software won’t be able to read or understand these embellishments. If the system becomes confused, it may reject your resume just to make things simpler. Next, choose a computer-friendly font. Some fonts â€" Arial, Georgia, Impact, Courier, Lucinda, Tahoma, and Trebuchet â€" were specially designed for the web. Use one of those; they are your safest option. Lastly, make sure you haven’t used any special characters. Traditional bullets are fine, but everything else (like arrow bullets) must go. Remember, you don’t want to run the risk of confusing the computer program. Now that you have stripped everything down to the basics, go ahead and write a second version of your resume â€" a snazzy version you can give the interviewer when you meet in person. 3) Write the most important information at the top: Make sure your resume has your contact information. In fact, put it front and center. Include your phone number and email address in addition to your mailing address. Then, check your spam folder religiously. After receiving your resume, the application tracking system might send you an automated email with additional instructions. 4) Include only the most relevant information: Only include your past work experience, skills, and personal qualities that are relevant to this particular job application. Get rid of anything that is unrelated to this job posting; it will just be seen as filler. 5) Start adding keywords. Computers are smart. They can’t be fooled. Anyone who has played a game against “the computer” knows there is no way to cheat. Don’t try to fool the application tracking system with a big block of keywords. Even if this did work, would you want it to? Image what a keyword-stuffed resume would look like when it finally does make it to a human â€" totally unprofessional. A prospective employer will have no way of knowing you are the perfect candidate if all you supply is a bunch of keywords. Instead, add them to your resume naturally. A good way to do that is to take an active â€" not task-based â€" approach. Try this writing formula:  An action verb + a keyword + a fact or figure that resulted from your action For example: Implemented marketing strategies that increased page views by 74%. 6) Add other important words. Keywords from the job description aren’t the only words the application tracking system will be looking for. The employer might set the program to look for specialized or technical skills. Mention computer programs you are proficient in. Any industry strengths and competencies should be listed too. Use popular industry abbreviations or acronyms. You’ll want to make sure your work experience and educational background sections are beefed up too. The application tracking system might look for specific certifications or degrees. Mention job titles you’ve had, products you’ve worked with, and any professional organizations you’re a part of. 7) Edit and then edit again. Double and triple check your resume before sending it off. Try reading your document backwards; this will make your mind slow down and catch errors easier. If you are submitting your resume in an online form, copy and paste from a word processor. If you spell a keyword wrong, the tracking system won’t notice it. We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you will have to wash, rinse and repeat this process with each new job position. Sure, there are some things that will be consistent from one application to another. However, each job will have a different set of keywords. Don’t get frustrated. Follow these tips to write your resume and you will score your dream job! Author: Mike Hanski is a business and academic papers writing expert at Bid4papers.com, a company that provides editing and writing help for students. He spent many hours researching and writing a resume before he has landed his dream job.

What Your Resume Should Look Like in 2020

What Your Resume Should Look Like in 2020As a job seeker, what your resume should look like in 2020 will largely depend on the industries you want to work in. It is also a good idea to have some career goals and attainments in order to have the right professional qualifications that can help boost your chances of getting hired. Here are some tips on how to make your resume look more professional in the upcoming year.Always include some new skills you have acquired along the way. In case you've just graduated, it is important to highlight this as part of your professional qualifications. Also, keep in mind that a person's age can influence how he or she looks when it comes to their resumes. For example, an adult looking for a job should be honest about his or her past jobs, current status, and current skill level.Try to use skills that showcase your unique contributions. Instead of stating that you are a team player, try to tell something about your previous jobs that are particularly important. To create a professional resume, you need to use everything you learned from your past jobs. Make sure that you write about all the previous jobs you have had, including which ones you worked on and how long you worked on them. Make sure that your resume has plenty of white space so that your resume can really be seen as one.The most important elements to highlight in your resume are your professional experience and education. You should be able to put a paragraph or two on your educational accomplishments and where you obtained these degrees. Remember that employers want to know everything they can about you including your personal achievements, which could be highlighted with your achievements.Keep in mind that most employers today are sensitive to personal details and they prefer to have the interview run as smoothly as possible. This is why you should avoid mentioning your weaknesses and any other personal details that may offend the employer. When you know your stre ngths, you will be able to emphasize these in your resume.While it is important to be mindful of the white space on your resume, there is still one piece of information that can be written in this space without it getting cluttered. This piece of information is your contact information. Keep this as you can and remind yourself that employers need to have contact information.Employers often send out a lot of applications each year. In this case, try to provide at least one cover letter to convince the employer to get back to you. Take advantage of the fact that employers will usually ask for more than one email address so you should always remember to include an email address on your resume.If you are still unsure what your resume should look like in 2020, the good news is that there are many resources available online that can provide you with the latest updated ideas on what your resume should look like in 2020. You should make sure that your resume is current and up-to-date as thi s will allow you to have a better chance of getting hired in the future.

Identifying Your Transferable Skills as a PGR University of Manchester Careers Blog

Identifying Your Transferable Skills as a PGR University of Manchester Careers Blog by David Firth* *completed PhD in 2018; worked as an Advisor in the University of Manchester Careers Service since 2012, and also PGT Skills Training Coordinator for SALC since 2016 In addition to the specific specialist knowledge (such as theory) and technical knowledge (such as lab techniques and programming languages), you will have gained and developed a variety of transferable skills throughout your time as a PhD. However, it’s quite common for PGRs to find it difficult to identify the broader skill set they have developed beyond the specificities of their PhD research. This article aims to provide a starting point for PGRs in identifying transferable skills. Why is it important to consider transferable skills? Being aware of all the transferable skills you will develop as a researcher during your PhD is important both for your continuous professional development within HE but also for any applications you make outside of academia. Being mindful to your skills profile as a researcher allows you to identify your strengths, as well as your own skills training and development needs. Transferable Skills: Examples Here’s a list of key transferable skills that you are likely to have gained and developed on your doctoral journey: Research methods Analytical skills Communication skills Critical thinking Leadership Supervisory skills Team work Time management Problem solving Project management Flexibility Motivating others Social media and IT skills This list also comprises core skills that employers most frequently look for in applicants and job specifications will often ask you to provide evidence of these skills. To help you start identifying your own evidence, here’s the list again but with examples and suggestions for how you might identify these yourself: Research methods   =   techniques used to plan your research project; collection of qualitative and quantitative data; data gathering; data analysis; use of statistics; discourse analysis; troubleshooting Analytical skills   =   formulating research questions; classifying and summarising data; being able to use results effectively and conveying this in chapters/articles/graphs/tables/pictures/lab reports. Communication skills   =   giving presentations and conference papers; translating complex ideas for different audiences; Critical thinking   =   theoretical knowledge; participation in debates; running experiments; developing chapters and articles that demonstrate your ability to form arguments. Leadership   =   any projects or tasks that you’ve led; any academic roles you’ve taken a lead with or volunteered for (such as with journals or research groups); taking the initiative Supervisory skills   =   working as a seminar instructor and GTA; providing training to students in workshops and labs; assessing and providing feedback Team work   =   participating in reading groups; running training activities in your School; conference planning; joint projects; joint lab work; being part of a research group Time management   =   managing multiple workloads effectively; managing your research commitments alongside other responsibilities Problem solving   =   researching for and completing literature reviews; lab experiments; planning as part of your decision-making processes (do you toss a coin or do you have a system/method?) Project management   =   managing your research project Flexibility   =   any challenges you’ve overcome in your research; any problems you’ve encountered and accommodated; any examples of multiple tasks that you’ve managed simultaneously; adapting your goals in line with your analysis; learning new skills as required Motivating others   =   providing support to peers and colleagues, as well as to more junior researchers; engaging with and encouraging junior colleagues; supporting the professional development of others, such as through training activities or leading workshops Social media and IT skills   =   using professional social media accounts to network, communicate your research, and demonstrate public engagement; examples of any resources you’ve created. These examples are just starting points â€" some, none, or all may apply to you. The key is being aware that the skills you develop as a researcher are not exclusive to the context of the PhD, but transferable to a range of applications. Someone who develops strong presentation skills as a researcher, for example, can also put those skills to good use as a consultant. Many HE institutions in the UK provide support resources on transferable skills for PGRs. The University of Manchester Careers Service also offers lots of advice and skill-by-skill guides on our website: http://www.careers.manchester.ac.uk/experience/skills     Vitae, a UK-based body run by The Careers Research and Advisory Centre, specifically designed to provide support mechanisms to researchers, is also a great source for training, resources, and events. Vitae Researcher Development Framework The Vitae Researcher Development Framework (RDF) is a particularly useful tool designed, by researchers and HE professionals, to help researchers identify and apply the various skills they will have developed on their doctoral journey. The RDF is structured into four domains covering the knowledge, behaviours and attributes that make up a well-rounded and well-developed researcher. Domain A identifies the knowledge, intellectual abilities and techniques needed to do research. Domain B covers ‘personal effectiveness’, detailing the personal qualities and approaches that are most commonly identified as necessary to be an effective researcher. Domain C addresses issues of research organisation and the professional standards expected of good researchers. Domain D covers ‘engagement, influence and impact’, detailing the knowledge and skills to work with others to ensure the wider impact of research. The RDF is designed to help you identify your strengths but also any gaps in your development and therefore allow you to prioritise professional development needs. A copy of the RDF and more information is available here: https://www.vitae.ac.uk/researchers-professional-development/about-the-vitae-researcher-development-framework What Next? This article has provided a starting point to help PGRs identify transferable skills. Wherever you may be, next steps could include: ? creating your own professional development plan (PDP), including a list of skills and your own examples, in line with the RDF ? seeking out further training, whether in your school/institution or at other institutions ? discussing skills training with your supervisors and peers â€" is there more you can/want to get involved in? If you’re a PGR at Manchester, next steps could include: ? seeking out further training from our institutional providers, such as: ArtsMethods, your School Researcher Development Team,   the University Library’s My Research Essentials team, the Careers Service, Methods@Manchester, as well as taking part in Pathways and Gold Mentoring, ? discussing your options in the Careers Service by booking a 30-minute guidance appointment with one of our Careers Consultants. ? discussing how best to present your research and transferable skills on your application documents by booking a 15-minute applications advice appointment with one of our Applications Advisors.   All

8 Brand-Building Conferences We Would Keynote - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

8 Brand-Building Conferences We Would Keynote - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career If you could keynote any business conference, which would you choose and why? The following answers are provided by the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the worlds most promising young entrepreneurs. In partnership with Citi, YEC recently launched StartupCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses. 1. TEDx I would really love to give the keynote address at TEDx. The work we do in the culture space is something that is critical for business leaders to be aware of and to leverage as they grow their organizations. TEDx would give us an opportunity to share with the masses what only a relatively small number of high-performing organizations have understood for a while now. Chris Cancialosi, GothamCulture 2. LeWeb Paris I would give the keynote speech at LeWeb Paris because Ive been before, its been the launch pad for many successful businesses such as Uber, a lot of my colleagues frequent LeWeb and I love Paris. I think entrepreneurs have to be able to speak about their company and should engage in public speaking at least twice per year. Its easy to understand your concept yourself but harder to explain to others. Gideon Kimbrell, InList 3. FailCon Ive always loved the FailCon conference. Ive found this event to create more value for me than any other. Speakers talk about their failures and more importantly, what they learned from their mistakes. As a speaker, your goal is to influence the audience with lessons from your past. Ive never seen more impact than lessons from an emotional story about failure. Aaron Schwartz, Modify Watches 4. Davos Go big or go home! Davos is still one of the leading conferences for global leaders around the world. If youre serious about driving change, I would think that getting a chance to influence some of the worlds most important people would certainly help! Tyler Arnold, SimplySocial Inc. 5. SXSW For years, many a successful startup has debuted at this conference. Giving the keynote address would require a lot of industry research and would be a huge challenge for me, but I believe Id learn a tremendous amount and meet a ton of interesting people. Alexandra Levit, Inspiration at Work 6. Global Entrepreneurship Congress The Global Entrepreneurship Congress is a gathering of startup champions from around the world. Where entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, thought leaders and policymakers work together to help bring ideas to life, drive economic growth and expand human welfare. Connecting entrepreneurs with policymakers and economic research is huge. I really like the mix of people and goals at this conference. Jason Grill, JGrill Media | Sock 101 7. Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Gala Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Gala I can’t get enough of their stories. This is the future of business. It’s young, it’s nimble and it’s fresh. Kuba Jewgieniew, Realty ONE Group 8. IRCE The Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition is the largest and most well recognized business conference in the ecommerce space. It would be the perfect place to showcase my business and area of expertise. Josh Weiss, Bluegala Featured Photo

The Benefits of Using Top Resume Writing Services

The Benefits of Using Top Resume Writing ServicesNowadays, many employers are looking for resumes that are well-written and in top condition, and most of the top resume writing services are providing services to candidates to help them write a quality resume that can land them the job. The best quality is something that is impressive, it needs to stand out above the rest, but still be in touch with the basics of being a professional resume, but at the same time be personal.Your resume can serve as an introduction to your real life. It makes you stand out in a crowd, yet you can also be very personal and include your accomplishments and skills in your resume. However, you must be able to convey that you are someone who cares about your career, career path, and how your resume is reflective of your personal statement, or what you truly think about yourself.Now, when you are done with your resume, you must first understand that your resume is only as good as the information it includes, and what it does not include is what your current life really consists of. For example, if you are currently employed, and you have a full-time job and you are trying to land a part-time job and one, your resume may not be very applicable. This is because in your current job, you do not have the type of lifestyle that your resume implies. Your current lifestyle is more suited to those who are working.If you are trying to get ahead of a hiring decision for a promotion or position where a promotion is desired, your current life will not have anything in terms of that career. In the end, this means that your resume is no longer useful. So, your resume should include information that is relevant to your current lifestyle.What kind of lifestyle do you want? Do you want a lifestyle that is suited to those who work and are only working a few hours per week, or do you want to have the lifestyle of someone who travels a lot, spends less time at home, and spends more time on the road? These are questions you need to ask yourself.Another important factor that must be included in your resume is whether or not you have considered whether or not your lifestyle is suitable for your career. Sometimes it is better to have more flexibility with your work schedule than it is to work hard and miss out on work. While you want to find a balance between work and pleasure, you also need to know that you do not want to have a lifestyle that is only suited for work.And, one of the best ways to test your resume and see if it's right for you is to ask yourself if you would consider having a lifestyle that is similar to your ideal; do you have enough energy to take care of things while traveling and have enough money to have fun? While some people have to work really hard, some people have an idea that they like to have fun. By including this in your resume, you can be certain that it will help you get the job.Now, if you would like to include this type of information in your resume, mak e sure that you can reword it, and make sure that you can write it with your personal statement and the information that are important to you. In this way, your resume will be much more in line with who you are.

Writing a Resume For Jobs In Same Company

Writing a Resume For Jobs In Same CompanyWriting a resume for jobs in the same company is something that every business owner and employee look forward to. If you're not a big fan of copywriting or design or even the internet, then you can hire someone to write the resume for you. The first thing you should look at when it comes to writing a resume for jobs in the same company is how you can get the most information out of it possible.The first thing you should consider is who will be reading your resume. This is important because the people reading it are going to make the decision on whether or not to call you or send you an email. The person who's reading your resume is going to have limited time to spend on your resume. Making sure that you capture the information that they need is going to be your number one goal.For example, if you're trying to get a job at a similar business as you already work for, then you're going to have to do a little more. You may want to be careful of w hat information you give them so that you don't say things that will cause them to be turned off by the resume. For example, if you're trying to get a job at a school, you should talk about what you're going to teach. You should also be sure to include the things that you do at the school in the cover letter.Some people include their accomplishments in the cover letter but the majority of them just talk about their skills. Make sure you have specific accomplishments listed and do them in such a way that they will look good on your resume. They may be few and far between but they will be a part of what people see. Having them listed is important so make sure that you provide them.Many people like to use different social media sites and add their information to their resume. To be effective, you should make sure that you always include your contact information. You can include it in a series of bullet points as well so that people can see that you have contacts all over the place.In a ddition to this, you should take the time to find out who your interviewer will be before you write the cover letter. If you're able to get them an interview, then you need to ensure that you take the time to write a convincing cover letter.The last thing you should consider is the fact that when it comes to resumes, some people are going to try to steal it from you so you need to make sure that your cover letter is original. You shouldn't be afraid to stand out from the crowd of people writing cover letters. As long as you can do this, you'll be okay. It's one of the first things that people see when they read through your resume so making sure that you make it eye-catching is very important.Last but not least, make sure that you proofread everything before you send it out. Make sure that you understand what the interviewer needs from you and then make sure that you provide it. Not only will it make the cover letter impressive, it will also let the employer know that you are profes sional and prepared for this interview.

The importance of stories - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog

The importance of stories - The Chief Happiness Officer Blog Stories and storytelling have played a major part in three of the books that Ive read lately. Its interesting to see the ancient art of telling stories used in such different settings as change management and child therapy. Nuts!, the success story of Southwest Airlines, emphasizes the role of the charismatic CEO Herb Kelleher (whos since retired). The authors defined his major role in the company as that of the Shaman (or medicine man). Hes been with the company since the beginning in 1973, and kept the companies spirit alive by living it himself, and by telling stories. At most major Southwest celebrations (of which there are many) Herb Kelleher might tell stories of old or recent peak experiences. The springboard is the story of how Stephen Denning used storytelling to introduce knowledge management in the World Bank. Using stories he was able to capture peoples interest and hearts, and introduce organizational change on a scale unprecedented for that organization. Im currently reading a book called Playful approaches to serious problems, which is about narratice therapy for children and families. Narrative therapy focuses on stories. Every family with a problem creates a story around that problem. 6 year old Jonathan is always angry. The slightest problem makes him explode in rage. Every time he doesnt get his way, he flies into tantrums, etc. The therapy focuses on exchanging the story of the problem with a more positive story about the people involved, hence the term narrative therapy. It also uses a playful rather than a serious approach, which seems very appropraite for dealing with children. (And why on earth am I reading a book about child therapy? Im curious to see if any of it can be transferred to adults. Imagine if we could tackle grown-up problems playfully in stead of seriously). So Nuts! focuses on how Herb Kelleher keeps the spirit of Southwest Airlines alive. The Springboard is about how to change an organization. Playful approaches is about child therapy. Yet they all use essentially the same tool: Stories. Thats kinda interesting, dont you think? Thanks for visiting my blog. If you're new here, you should check out this list of my 10 most popular articles. And if you want more great tips and ideas you should check out our newsletter about happiness at work. It's great and it's free :-)Share this:LinkedInFacebookTwitterRedditPinterest Related

What categories to use on your resume - Hallie Crawford

What categories to use on your resume If you’re looking for a job, but not getting the interviews you want, your resume may be the reason. “Oh, but my resume is just fine,” you think to yourself. But is it really? Many people write their own resumes. The danger of doing so is that you may not know what employers want to see, you may not give yourself credit for all of your accomplishments, and you may not use wise formatting. For example, does your resume have the following categories? • Summary, • Professional Experience, • Volunteer Experience, • Awards, • Publications, • Presentations, • Registrations, • Licenses, • Certifications, • Skills, • Leadership • Training, • Education. You may not need every category, but if you have information that fits these categories, list it. If you only list your jobs, you are short-changing yourself by not providing an overall view of your relevant abilities. One client whose resume I updated stated, “I didn’t even know some of the things I’ve done that mattered until I was questioned.” Another stated, “What a confidence builder to see my resume and realize how much I’ve done!” Your resume has to be as competitive as others applying for the same job since your resume is your means for obtaining an interview. If you want to stand out from your competition, have a professional create or update your resume for you. That way, you don’t have to worry about tooting your own horn â€" the professional will be glad to toot it for you!  and Terry L. Wynne, Ed.S., LPC, BCC Certified Career Coaches P.S.  Are you in the ideal career for you?  Find out if you’re in the right career with our  Ideal Career Quiz.