During a recession, it’s no secret that finding new employment can prove to be difficult. Though it can be hard, it is not impossible. One of the greatest ways to stand out against competition in your industry is to create a recession-proof resume. These resumes have the ability to stand out from hundreds of other applicants contending for the same position in 2019. Outside of working with a professional resume writing service, what tactics can you use to make sure your resume is ready for an economic downturn?
Specify your achievements
For any experienced professional, it is common to create a resume that gives a generalized summary of what your careers have entailed of. By creating a basic resume, it can be outperformed by other candidates who highlight specific accomplishments and use quantifiable measurements to show how they were able to achieve their successes. Create a resume that focuses on achievements and show ow you were able to use your expertise to elevate the company you worked for.
Tailor your resume
It is said that almost 70% of resumes do not make it past applicant tracking systems (ATS). Besides from keeping an updated copy of your resume, be sure to focus on using keywords and phrases that ATS will pick up on when submitted. Utilize job specific keywords found in the job description to help you grab the attention of both resume scanning software and the hiring manager.
Highlight your industry/specialty
If you have received any specific training, have knowledge in unique programs/languages, hold any certifications, or work in a specialized field that is relevant to the position- be sure to highlight these on your resume. By indicating your qualifications, this gives you the upper hand when faced against other candidates that have similar backgrounds as you do. Considering that a hiring manager will only take 6 seconds to look at a resume, it is important to build out a section that highlights these skills to assure that the hiring manager will see them immediately.
Always keep searching
Keep a look out on multiple job sites to look for positions. “Even though many companies tend to use multiple job boards to post new positions, there are still discrepancies for opportunities on some sites that might not have made it on to the other. For instance, use LinkedIn and Google for a quick search to find positions” says Ciara Van De Velde, Career Coach at Employment BOOST.
Network regularly
One of the greatest tricks to gaining employment is to continuously expand your network- even when you are not actively job searching. When faced in difficult situations, reaching out to your network of contacts can offer new opportunities that are not yet available to the general public but also gives you a better chance at having your resume seen by the hiring manager.