According to the statistics, it takes from 3 to 6 months to find a new job, and you need to send up to 20 applications to get one interview call. If your resume is written well and effectively presents your value as a professional, this time frame can be shortened. However, sometimes qualified professionals cannot objectively evaluate the quality of their resumes as they are not aware of what employers pay attention to when screening applications. Today, we will share non-obvious signs that your resume could benefit from a professional review.
Both students and experienced professionals can benefit from a free CV and resume checking service online. If you order a resume critique service, a professional reviewer will check your resume based on the main criteria that matter for employers. A resume review involves the evaluation of the content, writing style, structure and design of your CV, and you will get free recommendations on how to improve the resume to make it appealing to employers.
5 surefire signs that you need a professional CV review
You are not getting quality interview calls
The primary purpose of the resume is to inform the employers about your work history and qualifications and encourage them to invite you for an interview. If you send out dozens of resumes and never hear back from the hiring managers, your resume might be to blame. Maybe, it doesn’t articulate your strengths, lacks the accomplishments, or is difficult to read. The reasons can be many. A pro resume consultant will identify what exactly in your resume turns off the recruiters. They will send you personalized recommendations on how to fix it.
Another problem that professionals often encounter is irrelevant interview calls. Say, you are seeking a position of a B2B Account Manager, but employers keep inviting you to apply for telesales jobs. This means that a resume fails to articulate your relevant experience or hiring managers think that you are underqualified. An in-depth CV review will solve the puzzle as the expert will explain how to fix everything.
You hesitate about what to include and what to leave out
Resume writing rules may sound confusing, especially for entry-level professionals. Moreover, resume writing guidelines vary depending on the industry, career level, etc. For instance, career experts insist that a resume should be one page, while others state that this is not necessary. As a result, job-seekers puzzle over their resumes and ask themselves questions like “Can I include that part-time job I had three years ago? Do I need to list a degree in Marketing if I apply for a software developer job?”
An experienced reviewer is completely certain about what belongs to your resume and what is of no interest to employers. They will help prioritize information in the resume and make it more focused. More importantly, the reviewer will point out if your resume contains inappropriate information, such as your social security number, picture, nationality, or reasons why you left your job.
Your career history has issues
Not everyone has a steady career history that progresses over time. Many job-seekers have employment gaps because they struggled to find a job, changed jobs frequently or had personal issues. Some people change their specialization or industry. Such issues, as well as a lack of stability in your career, can turn of the recruiters. Therefore, you need to find ways to downplay or explain these issues, otherwise your resume will be rejected.
A CV consultant will recommend ways to draw the attention away from issues that recruiters consider ‘red flags’. Maybe, they will recommend using a functional resume format instead of a chronological one, removing jobs you had for one month only, or removing months off your work history.
It’s been a while since you last updated your resume
Resume writing rules evolve and change. Years ago, sending a one-page resume was commonplace. Today most hiring managers expect a two-page document from experienced candidates. Modern resumes need to be accomplishment-driven and contain keywords to pass ATS screening. If you are not familiar with modern rules of resume writing, you will struggle to get interviews.
If you are not sure if your old resume meets the requirements of modern employers, a pro CV review will do you no harm. A reviewer will give you recommendations about the structure, writing style, achievements, keywords and other areas that need improvement.
Writing is not your forte
Nobody knows your career history, achievements and skills better than you. However, it takes advanced writing skills to produce a well-written resume. You need to articulate your strengths and present a career history persuasively to convince the employer that you are the right fit. And if you don’t describe yourself effectively, you may be overlooked even if you are perfectly qualified. More importantly, hiring managers frown upon typos, grammar mistakes and issues with punctuation.
If you are not confident in your writing skills or English is not your first language, asking a professional to take a look at your resume can be helpful. A reviewer will point out the mistakes in the document and recommend the improvements.
An experienced CV consultant can identify the main shortcomings of your resume and recommend how to fix them. With these expert recommendations, you will find it easier to impress the target employers. If you have recognized yourself in any of the above situations, use the professional tips below to give your resume some quick yet essential improvements.
Professional tips for improving your resume
Keep the resume up to 2 pages
If the resume takes more than 2 pages, consider removing outdated jobs, irrelevant activities or other facts that do not relate to your target job opening.
Add a summary of qualifications
In 3-4 sentences, outline your biggest professional strengths, achievements and areas of expertise. Explain how your skillset can be beneficial for the organization.
Write 6-7 bullets for each job
Avoid writing lengthy job descriptions. 6-7 bullets will suffice to describe your main responsibilities, achievements and highlight your contribution.
Add accomplishments
Hiring managers value accomplishments as they prefer hiring candidates who can deliver measurable results. Add at least 2-3 professional achievements with figures and percentages.
Check grammar and spelling
Typos and poor grammar turn off the recruiters. Use an online spell checker to spot and fix any writing issues, so that your resume makes a positive impression.
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