TWO SECRETS TO HAVING A SUCCESSFUL RESUME

You have heard every kind of advice out there on how to have a successful resume. Everything from format to font to keywords and metrics. While those are important factors to consider and include, there are two areas that you need to focus on: How to beat the ATS and how to impress your hiring manager and in order to do that, you need to remember two things:

YOUR RESUME IS NOT ABOUT YOU (TIME TO IMPRESS YOUR HIRING MANAGER)

Okay, yes. Your resume is a compilation of your experience, education, and accomplishments, but you are not writing your resume for yourself, you are writing it for your future boss. I always say that the job search is a marketing process and you are the product. Your resume is the written description of the product to get your customer (the company you want to work for) to buy.

In order to write your resume for your future employer, keep a few things in mind:

1. What is the hiring manager looking for?

2. What is their biggest need/pain point?

3. What valuable service are you going to provide to meet that need/pain point?

When you write your resume based on the value you will provide to help your future employer, it can show them just how much they can’t live without you.

YOUR RESUME NEEDS TO HAVE A CLEAR DIRECTION (TO BEAT THE ATS)

In order for your resume to be successful in today’s market, it has to be targeted toward a specific scope of work.

If you don’t have a clear focus, it doesn’t matter how pretty your resume is, what font you use, or any other trick. Having a clear focus with help your future employer realize that you have the skills and requirements to best do the job.

As you know, most employers utilize what is called an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) and this system is scanning your resume for certain criteria such as keywords, skills, job title, years of experience, and education. If your resume does not have those, you won’t score in a way that gets you seen.

Sadly, most candidates are immediately rejected because of this.

The easiest way to do this is to create a bullet skill section and use words directly out of the job description in this section. For example, if a JD says the targeted qualifications include:

• 4+ years of Demand Planning experience or relevant work experience.

• Expertise in Demand Planning software

• SAP APO application experience preferred

• Experience in the CPG industry with a specific emphasis on Planning or Supply Chain functions preferred

• Superior MS Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint skills

• Expertise using Syndicated data sources (IRI, Nielsen)

• Ability to work both on short term and long term planning

• Experience in working with cross-functional teams

• Presentation and communication skills

Your skill section should look like this:

• Demand Planning

• Demand Planning Software

• SAP APO Application

• CPG Industry

• Planning & Supply Chain Functions

• MS Word, Excel, Access & PowerPoint

• Syndicated Data Sources

• Short & Long-Term Planning

• Cross-Functional Teams

• Communication & Presentations

It takes more time and effort to create a resume that is impressive and targeted. But the payoff is landing your dream job.

If you are still feeling a little stuck and would like some help with this process, click here to schedule a time for us to chat.