1. You Are Lacking Personal Branding
As a candidate, you want to do everything you can to stand out from the crowd. Keep in mind that in most cases, you will be put against dozens of applicants and referrals. Typically, hiring managers look for someone that will bring value to the team, so highlighting and including specialized traits that you have is helpful in ensuring you stand out from the rest.
By showcasing your personal brand or accomplishments, your employer can get a look into what kind of employee you are and whether you would be a good fit for the company. Look into clues such as, whether the company you are applying to is customer-focused? If so, how does your expertise correlate? In addition to this, mentioning that your experiences in the past have prioritized customer needs could be the boost that labels you as a top candidate.
2. Your Resume Didn’t Pass SEO/ATS Filtration
One of the most common issues today during the job search is computer optimization. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are used to help hiring managers filter out “irrelevant” resumes. If a resume is lacking the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) keywords for a specific position, the ATS will immediately reject them.
Be sure to use keywords that you find in the job post and apply them to your resume. To find more information on how SEO and ATS works, see our quick guide on how to master the system.
3. Your Resume Is Irrelevant to the Position Applied
In many cases, applicants apply for jobs that interest them but they lack the expertise to fulfill the needs of the position. Ask yourself these questions before submitting your resume:
- Do you have experience that is relevant to the position?
- Do you meet the company’s requirements for the position you are applying for?
- Are you tailoring your experiences to better suit the position’s requirements?
- Do you have expertise in the industry that is similar to the company?
4. The Content of Your Resume Is Too Confusing
Be strategic about how much professional jargon you use to fluff up your resume. Take the time to organize the content of your resume tactically. Whatever you do, do not throw in a jumble of daily routines and responsibilities in hopes that the hiring official will simply “sort it out” for you.
Be definitive about your knowledge and demonstrate how you are a top performer instead of an average one by using facts and metrics to support your claim.
5. Formating Issues
Avoid any complicated formatting styles that have the possibility of getting lost in translation. In the same breath, also avoid formatting that is graphic-heavy. Your resume needs to be read by computers, and so a simple, clean, text-only format is the best way to go.
Place your content in your resume in an organized, chronological or functional manner. Besides from your important personal information, specifically dedicate sections in your resume for accomplishments, experiences, and skills. Label your sections to help the hiring manager navigate your resume easily for quick references. Avoid using too many bullet points to avoid drawing attention away from imperative portions of your resume that could help land you the job.
If you are still finding difficultly with your resume, it may be time to contact a specialist. At Employment Boost, we have resume services for all career levels and are guaranteed to give you a higher chance at landing your dream job.