Before you think about the robots, one of the most important steps in developing an effective resume is to create a Master Resume that always stays in the cloud or on your computer.
In the master resume, list every significant accomplishment you achieved ( that you can think of) in the right format, under each job. You could have as many bullets as you want under each job in the Master.
When you customize your resume for a job application, you will be mostly deleting bullets that do not match with the qualifications and the principle duties in the job description and editing the remaining bullets to match the language of the qualifications.
Having a master resume cuts the time it takes you to customize by about 50%.
Customizing is tedious but the more you do it, the less tedious it becomes, if you are applying to similar roles.
One tip to get both the robots and the humans to put you in the “Yes'' list for interviews is to specifically match your successes, under each job to each of the qualifications and the most important principle duties.
And...be sure to use their wording (key words) to explain each of your successes. This way you won’t be stuffing the resume with keywords inappropriately and yet your fit will be noticed quickly by a human and the ATS.
There are 14 other criteria in the Career Aviators Resume Analyzer that you can use to determine how you need to make changes to your resume to get in the “yes” list for interviews.
I would be pleased to review your resume with you in a free consultation and/or you could participate in the resume reboot workshop or the Career Landing Programme
Transition Blocked! You May Be Your Own Worst Enemy
Photo by Simon English on Unsplash
Caroline Ceniza-Levine’s article, Five Warning Signs Your Desired Career Change Will Not Happen, published in yesterday’s Forbes Blog has excellent advice for those who feel stuck in their career transition.
If you feel that the barriers to your career transition are external, you should read this article.
If it is tough to read, it may be because you see yourself in "Jane’s" story.
Successful transition will require that you begin to notice the specific way in which you are like Jane and take action to avoid becoming a victim and your own worst enemy in your career transition. “You have to see the goal before you can reach it. If you don’t really believe you can make a change, you will find reasons that it won’t work and will give up too easily.” says Levine.
Her message highlights the reason to write “7 to 12 sentences that capture specific criteria you want out of your career and life over the next few years.
Sometimes our “thinking mind” gets in the way of us moving forward in this defined direction. It is often the root of why we get stuck . You can tell if its your “thinking mind” if your reasons are “I am too old”, “I am not experienced enough (when you have the experience)”, “I am not trained enough”, or “I am not good enough” etc.
The answer lies in letting your thinking mind chatter away while you go forward with your plan to find a postion that meets your established criteria. Act on your strengths in the direction of your deepest values.
Are you considering a career transition? Wayne Greenway is the Chief Executive Officer for Career Aviators. Career Aviators, a Certified B Corporation® helps professionals, managers, and executives find positions in which they will excel, value highly, and love to do. The profits from our work support programs to help vulnerable youth flourish in the face of highly stressful life situations.