From indifferent to HELL YEAH! Your resume is your love letter.
You wouldn’t answer a love letter addressed to you as “To whom it may concern…” at least I hope you wouldn’t.
A friend of mine had a conversation about dating and finding a potential partner and he something that stuck out to me. It has to feel like a “hell yeah!” Meaning it either feels right or it just doesn’t.
Resumes are no different. Hiring managers and recruiters know what that “hell yeah!” looks like when we see that application come through or we find that profile on LinkedIn that matches everything the client has been looking for.
You want to pick up the phone and call them, you want to send the email and set something up immediately. You will stop at nothing to get this person on your radar.
Resumes that generate this response usually are detailed, and speak to a specific audience and avoid vague and general language.
If your resume says things like…
“Worked across various teams”
“Collaborated with multiple clients”
“Used various tools, software and hardware”
“Worked across various projects”
You might be missing out on interviews simply because you're not specific enough.
What kinds of teams?
Technical teams, product managers, marketing teams, IT teams, engineers?
What kinds of clients?
Fortune 500 enterprises? Mid-sized SaaS companies? Government agencies? Start ups? General Contractors?
What kinds of industries?
Manufacturing? Logistics? Marketing? Technology? Construction? Real Estate? Beauty?
These details matter…
Why?
Because keywords get you through resume filters. (This does not mean keyword stuffing!) Specifics help hiring managers and recruiters connect your experience to their problems. Details create excitement. The more clearly you describe your experience, the easier it is for a recruiter or hiring manager to see how you fit. Hiring teams only have a finite amount of time in the day to entertain conversations with potential candidates.
For context: a company might only have an 8 hour day, and is working across multiple requisitions (jobs) at once, this doesn’t include meetings, and other responsibilities. Recruiters and hiring managers simply can not interview everyone.
Before submitting your resume, ask yourself…
Am I giving enough detail to create relevant keywords?
Would a stranger understand the scope of my experience?
Does my resume highlight clear connections to the job I want?
Does my resume show immediate value add to the desired company?
Remember it is better to be something to a handful, than nothing to many. Your resume is no different.
