When Recruiters = Keyword Identifiers

Did you know that most recruiters reviewing your resume are NOT experts in your field?

In most cases (not all), they are primarily *keyword identifiers*.

They are also assessing your:

– job titles and career progression
– former employers
– tenures
– industry expertise
– education and credentials

That’s right.

This fact changes as you progress through the interview process, but in most cases (not all), the folks handling that initial resume review have never done what you do and don’t possess a hands-on understanding of what you do.

So how do you make your resume stand out to a recruiter who may not fully understand what you do?

1. Analyze the job posting and identify the company’s essential requirements (the must-haves).

2. Serve up your 3-5 most relevant areas of expertise (the keywords) on a silver platter, front and center at the top of the document. This is important because the recruiter is using this same job posting as a guide. They are looking for those keywords.

3. Make the reader’s life easy by formatting your resume in a clean, easy-to-read manner. Company names, job titles, employment dates, accomplishments – these all need to POP. Recruiting is a difficult job; make it easy for the recruiter to figure out your story.

Doing these things should help your resume land in the Yes and Maybe piles with greater frequency.

I hope you enjoyed and found value in this article! Learn more about our resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile writing services by visiting https://reedresumes.com/.