[US Jobs Vacancies] How to get that computer to send your résumé to a real person

US Jobs Vacancies has posted a new item, 'How to get that computer to send your
résumé to a real person'



Interview with a rsum expert

Debra Auerbach, CareerBuilder Writer





When you submit a rsum online, do you ever wonder where it goes, who reads it
and -- if you're lucky -- how it gets picked? In today's electronic world, many
companies use keyword-search software or applicant-tracking systems in their
hiring process. These systems scan rsums for keywords related to the open
position to find the most relevant ones for the next round. This helps
companies, especially large ones, sort through a high volume of rsums quickly
and efficiently.




Knowing that your rsum may meet a computer system before it meets a human, how
do you get it noticed? The following Q&A withRamsey Penegar, executive-rsum
consultant, career strategist and certified rsum writer forcbResume.com,
provides helpful tips on how to make your rsum stand out to a computer -- and a
company.




Q: Now that most rsums are submitted/reviewed online, what implications does
that have for how a rsum is written?Penegar:Now that the majority of rsums are
submitted and reviewed online rather than in print, there are new things to
consider in writing a rsum. Will your rsum be viewable online? Will it look the
same as it did on your computer when prospective hiring managers read it? Job
seekers need to keep in mind that format, keywords, search optimization and file
type are all just as important as content, good grammar and correct spelling.




I ensure that clients have two versions of their rsum. [One is] the utilitarian
text version for easily posting to Internet job boards or online applications.
Since the majority of businesses use Microsoft Word over other word-processing
programs, send your rsum in a file format their system will open. The Microsoft
Word version is formatted using universal fonts to ensure that the recipient can
read the rsum.




Q: Why is it important to include keywords from the job description in a
rsum?RP:An effective rsum has a tight focus and is targeted to the job or job
types the client wishes to seek. This targeting includes keywords from the job
description to improve search rates. Keywords are usually the hard skills,
industry-specific qualifications and job-specific terms or phrases that
employers look for in a job candidate. If your rsum doesn't have the keywords
that match their job requirements, your rsum may hit the "no" pile early in the
process.

Some companies search Internet job boards and rsum databases using keywords to
find job candidates, while other companies use this technology to streamline
their hiring process. If your rsum doesn't contain the right keywords, your rsum
may be rejected even if you have all the experience and other qualifications. As
a job seeker, using the right keywords in your rsum is crucial if you want to
land the interview.




Q: How can you integrate keywords so they sound natural and not forced?RP:The
best way to incorporate keywords into your rsum is by writing concise action
statements regarding your achievements, skills and experience and implementing
the keywords naturally within those bulleted statements. An effective rsum
isachievement-focused, not task-based. Start each statement about your career
achievements with an action verb, followed by a keyword and ending with specific
facts and figures resulting from your actions.




Simply creating a list or block of keywords may work to snag hits on the
software seeking those words. However, if your rsum lacks a professional,
aesthetically appealing look, doesn't explain why you are the ideal candidate or
how you benefited your previous employers, you still won't get the interview.




Q: What types of keywords should job seekers include in their rsum?RP:The best
keywords can be found right in the job descriptions and ads of the jobs you want
to land. Evaluate 10 job postings with similar titles and make a list of the
five to 10 most frequently used words throughout all of them. These are the
words you should use in your cover letter and rsum.




Here is a list of general skills and qualifications to consider as keywords:

Degrees or certifications
University or college names
Job titles
Product names
Technical terms
Industry jargon
Job-specific buzzwords
Company names
Professional organizations
Technology


Q: What are some pitfalls of relying too much on keywords?RP:Integrating
keywords is only one important aspect of developing an effective rsum. Too many
buzzwords can be overkill, and a long list of keywords on a Word document will
not land you any interviews. Remember that keywords are primarily for the
computer software scanning your rsum; the written content is for your human
readers. Quality is of utmost importance in your rsum.




Q: What other ways can a job seeker get his rsum noticed by an employer?RP:Make
certain [that] your rsum is visually appealing by using appropriate formatting
and white spacing as well as correct spelling and grammar. Your rsum is more
likely to be read if it's appealing to read. Don't clutter your rsum with
irrelevant or outdated information and, ideally, keep it to two pages or less.
College students or those with fewer than five years of experience may use a
one-page rsum.




A job search should be directed in the same manner as asales or marketing
campaign.Use all [of] your resources, connections and networks. Get your rsum
into the hands of people who can help you in this quest, including friends,
family, colleagues, alumni or professional association members, acquaintances at
Chamber of Commerce and other business community events and job fairs. Promote
your rsum online using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and even your own
professional blog. Rather than sending your rsum to a company or job posting
cold, conduct research to find out the name of the person who would be most
interested in your rsum, and get the rsum into her hands. Taking the time to
develop and work your job-search plan will help you to achieve better results
faster.




Debra Auerbach is a writer and blogger forCareerBuilder.comand its job blog,The
Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career
management, hiring trends and workplace issues.







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