Last week I covered the #1 Deadly Resume Mistake, not tailoring your resume towards each and every position you apply for. With 95% of employers using an applicant tracking system to weed through resumes, it’s crucial to determine the keywords/phrases from the job description and correctly add them to your resume.
The second most deadly resume mistake, not including quantifiable data. When you are looking to stand out among a sea of applicants, the best way is to get your resume noticed, is by including quantifiable data… #’s, $ amounts, and % stick out to the human eye, especially when that human is reading very quickly. When a recruiter or humans resources manager initially look through your resume, they typically only take about 10-15 seconds before they decide it will go in the Yes or the No pile. So you can guarantee they aren’t taking the time to read through all 850 words.
Furthermore, when you are in a hiring situation, the numbers don’t lie. Many employers see quantifiable data as a way to select the most qualified applicant among several great candidates. Here is an example bullet point revision:
What your current resume says,
“Saved the company money by streamlining standard operating procedures (SOPs) to gain efficiency and consistency,”
What your new and improved resume should say,
“Overhauled standard operating procedures (SOPs) to gain efficiency and consistency, which reduced overhead costs 20% among the San Francisco office.”
It can be difficult to quantify your experience, that’s why it’s paramount to have someone to ask the right questions to and determine what job duties can and should be quantified.
To find out if your resume has enough quantifiable data to catch a hiring managers eye, send me a copy of your resume on LinkedIn or email me at cassiecareerconfidence@gmail.com. Invest in your success and cut your job seeking time in half. Plus spend more time focusing on the most important part of your job search, networking.
Next week I will cover the #3 deadly resume mistake, including an objective statement in your resume.