Your resume and cover letter give a hiring manager a first impression of you before they’ve even met you. They are incredibly important in the hiring process, and can be the deciding factor in whether you get an interview or not.
How can you ensure that you are the shining star amongst the endless galaxy of resumes and cover letters?
Try following these tips provided by recruiters in San Diego.
The Resume
Did you know that recruiters only spend an average of 7 seconds looking at a resume? Edith Villaseñor of Pridestaff shared this statistic, and other recruiters agreed—with potentially hundreds of candidates to go through, they can’t spend too much time looking through the details of a resume.
The best thing you can do as a candidate is make it easy for the recruiter to see why you are a great candidate for the job.
Customize it for the position
The first thing to do is to gear your resume towards the position you are applying to. Rather than having one resume that you send out to every job, take the time to carefully read through the job description and cater your experiences and skills to each specific job you apply for.
How exactly can you cater a resume to the position? One section to focus on is your skills. Edith Villaseñor recommended putting your skills section above your experience. That way, when the recruiter is looking for a candidate with skills in Database Management, it will be one of the first things they see when they look at your resume.
Get Rid of What Isn’t Relevant
Do some editing to bring out the relevant skills while taking out those that don’t serve you. If you are applying for an administrative position, you can probably take out the fact that you are proficient in cashiering. Don’t bury your relevant skills amongst those that won’t help you get the job. Make it easy for the recruiter to see exactly what skills you have that are applicable to the position.
When it comes to listing experience, use your judgment to decide which positions show skills and attributes that are transferable to the position you are applying for.
If you feel that you don’t have enough experience to pick and choose which ones you include on your resume, Charisse Charters of ResMed recommended having a “Relevant Experience” section, as well as an “Other Experience” section underneath. That way, you can highlight the experiences that most relate to this job, while still showing you have other work experience.
If you have a fuller history of experience, she also advises not to go back any further than the year 2000. Most hiring managers agree that they don’t want to look at a resume that is longer than two pages (or has ancient history on it!).
The Cover Letter
The cover letter is your chance to really tell the hiring manager who you are and why you are the best person for the job. The Interview Guys say, “Have a gap in employment on your resume? – Use your cover letter as an opportunity to explain it. In the middle of switching careers and finding that your skills, while applicable to the job you’re applying for aren’t traditionally considered to be a match? Use your cover letter to detail why you should be considered anyway.”
Amy Benoit of Federal Heath Signs noted that when reading a cover letter, she wants to see that you took the time to read through the job posting, and are incorporating the skills and qualities that they are looking for in the cover letter.
Don’t be Afraid to Use the Exact Words in the Job Description
Janelle Frickey of City of San Marcos recommended looking through the job posting and pulling out the exact words, or keywords, that are used to describe the position and skills. Incorporate the words into both your cover letter and resume to show that you have the qualities that they are looking for, and to show that you really took interest in the position, rather than just blindly applying with a generic resume and cover letter.
Adding these keywords in your resume and cover letter is also the way your information might end up in front of a recruiter’s face. Amy Hernandez of ResMed pointed out that many recruiters use a keyword search system to sort through candidates’ information. If your cover letter has these words, it’s more likely that the recruiter will actually read it!
Remember that the point of the cover letter is to tell the hiring manager who you are and why you will be of value to the company. Watch that the tone of the cover letter is positive, friendly and courteous. This is an opportunity to start building a relationship with the potential employer. Be sure to really sell yourself by highlighting why you are a fit, and at the same time keeping the letter brief.
While the recruiter only spends a short time looking through your information, the power is in your hands to make yourself stand out as a candidate. Make those 7 seconds really count! Dedicate time to each of the jobs that you apply for, and in no time, you will see the interview offers rolling in.
Leap to Confidence students were fortunate to listen to a panel of recruiters from San Diego discuss tips and strategies for re-entering the workforce and presenting their best selves. This article is inspired by that panel. Thanks to Amy Benoit of Federal Heath Sign Company, Janelle Frickey of City of San Marcos, Amy Hernandez and Charisse Charters of ResMed, Penny Sandifer of Pacific Marine Credit Union and Edith Villaseñor of Pridestaff.
