 One of the best ways to position yourself to land a great job is to make sure that you’re in the right place at the right time—and that includes making sure that your resume is in the right place at the right time.
Recruiters and hiring managers routinely use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to source candidates in their database for open positions. When they conduct a search for candidates in that system, they typically give priority to those candidates that come up first in the search results. As you might guess, you want to be in those search results. Below are 10 ways that you can “beat” the applicant tracking system with your resume. #1—Use generic headings, such as “Work Experience.” Using headings like “Career Achievements” or “Professional Experience” may cause the system to skip over your work experience completely. #2—Don’t limit the length of your resume. The ATS does not put a limit on how long your resume can be. If you lengthen your resume to include more work experience and credentials, there’s a better chance that the system will rank you higher. #3—Do not start your work experience section with dates. The ATS does not look for dates; it looks for the names of the employers first. Make sure to put the name of your employer first, followed by the date. #4—Do not use tables and/or graphics. The system can’t read tables and graphics, so be sure to omit them from your resume before submitting it. #5—Use relevant keywords and phrases. The system is designed to look for keywords and phrases associated with the job, so include those that might be found in the job listing. #6—Do not try to “mimic” the applicant tracking system. Keywords are important, but don’t repeat those phrases throughout your entire resume. Recruiters and hiring managers do not like it when your resume looks like you tailored it to accommodate the ATS. #7—Make your resume easy and quick to read. The system scans for keywords, but it’s still advisable that your paragraphs are clean and legible. Put plenty of spaces in between paragraphs and don’t jumble them together. #8—Research the company’s corporate culture. Researching the company’s culture gives you more of an idea of what the company is seeking. Incorporate some keywords and phrases associated with the culture into your resume. #9—Use bullet points. This helps to ensure that your resume is easy to read, since it eliminates long sentences and paragraphs. However, keep in mind that applicant tracking systems prefer asterisks. #10—Add a cover letter. Adding a cover letter is a great way to further show that you fit into the company’s culture. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! Your personality in an interview can manifest itself in every little detail, but don’t let this stress you out. Otherwise, your anxiety and nervousness will show.
Remember to stay focused and calm, and follow the following five guidelines for displaying positive energy and enhancing your personal development.
You may not know everything the interviewer asks, but this is a great opportunity to show your personal side, especially your desire to learn and contribute as much value as possible. Showing professional development There are two main components in this area: research and practice. Below are four tips for conducting research prior to the interview.
Practice is also key. Be able to describe a situation, the task at hand, what you did, and then the result. Practice what you are going to say by looking at yourself in a mirror and saying it. Say it again in the shower. Say it again before you go to sleep. Be explicit and concise and emphasize the skills and topics that relate most to the job for which you are applying. Then practice some more. Dress: where personal and professional collide When it comes to dress, put aside personal preferences (for the time being) and err on the side of dressing better than what you think is necessary.
A professional appearance signals that you are focused and ready to work, respectful of the interviewer’s time, and you will take the job seriously. And that’s what it takes to ace the interview and get an offer of employment! Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! You’ve probably asked yourself, “How do I make the perfect resume so that employers notice me?”
Well, making the perfect resume is a myth, because nothing is perfect. However, there are things that you can do to bring your resume closer to perfection. Below are 10 tips for achieving not perfection, but resume success: #1—Check spelling and grammar. Proofread. And proofread again. Yes, spelling and grammar seem quite elementary, but you won’t believe how many people make these mistakes in their resume. After reading your own resume multiple times, you will probably develop a “blind spot” for errors and overlook small mistakes like spelling and punctuation. To avoid this, ask somebody to review your resume. An outsider’s eye is often keener in spotting mistakes than your own. #2—Print your elevator pitch. An elevator pitch is a quick 30-second summary of yourself, your ambitions, and your skills. You should be able to reel it off to a potential employer in a brief introduction. Not only does it help your employer, but it also helps you understand yourself and what you want to be able to achieve. Once you’ve crafted your self-summary, paste it into the top of your resume. Most employers don’t want to read your life story, but if they can understand you in three lines, you have a better chance of securing the job. #3—Strive for quality, not quantity. As mentioned above, don’t write your life story. Only include experience and interests that you think are relevant to the job. If you’ve worked as an intern for a competitor, that’s more relevant than the fact you worked weekend shifts at Walmart (nothing against Walmart). #4—Include experience, aims, and achievements. So you’ve got some personality and your experience is listed. However, most people forget to include their aims, goals, and ambitions on their resume. A company not only wants to know if you’re right for them, but also if the company is right for you. #5—Go “back in time.” Write your experience in reverse chronological order (most recent first). Your employer is more concerned with the job you just had then something you did five or 10 years ago. In fact, do this for all forms of time scale throughout your resume. Consistency is key. #6—Remove your older work experiences. Most experts agree that the last 15 years of your career are enough. Cut everything before that unless it deals directly with the position for which you’re interviewing. #7—Pair it with a “killer” cover letter. Use your cover letter as your initial opportunity to make a great impression. Do more than recap what's on your resume. Highlight some of your proudest professional accomplishments, provide a window into who you are as an employee, and really delve into your unique skills. #8—Use social media to your advantage. In this day and age of social media and quick Internet searches, be certain that hiring managers WILL view your social media pages. Is your LinkedIn profile up-to-date and ready? Make sure that your work history is current and that your profile headline and summary are optimized. #9—Be honest. Reference checks and Google searches are easier than ever. Lying on your resume is never worth it. It’s just wrong—and any lie you tell will follow you around. An old lie can get you fired later in your career. #10—Keep it short. The ideal length for a resume is a controversial subject. Most employers and recruiting specialists say that it should contain one or two pages at most. However, provided that all of the necessary information is there, the shorter your resume, the better. Remember: short, detailed, and truthful are the keys to resume success! Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact us today to find out more about the employment opportunities that are available in your chosen field! There’s a right way and a wrong way to do everything—including reference checks. In this current candidates’ market, the demand for high-quality candidates is great and the margin for error is small. As a result, any mistake could result in the loss of a top candidate for your organization’s open position.
So that’s why doing things the right way is so important. Different employers conduct reference checks in different ways. Some don’t conduct any at all. On the other hand, some employers go completely in the other direction. They ask for as many references as possible and attempt to contact them all. While it’s certainly good to vet candidates in your company’s hiring process, time is a precious commodity. So if the ultimate goal is to fill the position with the best candidate possible and reference checking plays a role in reaching that goal, then what are the best practices for checking them? The first step—and perhaps the most important—is that of preparation. You must have a process by which your organization checks references. This will allow you to streamline the process and save time during it. Specifically, you should know the following information:
One of the most important aspects of reference checking is who you call about candidates you’re considering for your organization’s open position. Ideally, you want to speak with the most unbiased people possible. Yes, the candidate submitted certain references because they believe those individuals will say positive things about them. Regardless, obtaining objective information should be a top priority. Below are some of the people you may be speaking with as references:
So what’s the key to obtaining balanced information during your reference checks? Asking the right questions, of course. Below is a list of such questions:
At the end of the conversation, you can also ask if there is anybody else with whom you can speak about the candidate who might provide additional insights. This is a great way to uncover more balanced and less biased information. While this process may seem comprehensive, remember that it should be done in an efficient manner. As mentioned above, time is of the essence during the hiring process. The longer it takes to check references, the longer the process will take overall, and the longer it takes overall, the more likely that candidates will drop out of the process. It just goes to show that not only must employers do things the right way in this current market, but they must also do things the right way quickly. Last year, Time Staffing won ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing Client and Talent Awards for providing superior service to their clients and candidates. ClearlyRated's Best of Staffing Award is the only award in the United States and Canada that recognizes staffing agencies that have proven superior service and quality based entirely upon ratings provided by their clients and job candidates. Time Staffing received satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10 or 10 out of 10 from 75.4% of their placed talent, significantly higher than the industry’s average of 45%. Contact Time Staffing today to find out more about our placement services for employers! |
