Get past the resume robots and into the hands of a recruiter.
Your resume is a company’s first impression of you, and it’s very likely the main factor that will determine whether you score an interview or get lost in the shuffle. So if you're at all concerned about what a recruiter or hiring manager would say about your resume, you need to get a free resume review from Monster.
You might be surprised by how quickly potential employers and recruiters can determine whether you qualify for a job, based only on a glance at your resume. That’s because they’ve had some help.
When you apply to a job online, your application often goes into an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), software that scans elements of your resume to determine how accurately you match the requirements of the job posting. If your resume isn’t hitting the right notes, the ATS will pass you by.
Here are five reasons why you should get a free resume assessment from Monster. We have a hunch you’ll be surprised by what our experts find.
1. You’re Not Showing Results
Of course, your resume should include some basic details about your role and responsibilities, but don’t forget to wow readers with your accomplishments. That means using numbers whenever possible to show hiring managers that you delivered results for each past job you’ve held. Include the respective results as bullet points in each of your jobs. If you oversaw a team of people, how many direct reports did you have? Did you streamline a process that improved efficiency? By how much? The more quantifiable proof of your efforts you can provide, the better.
2. You’re Not Using the Right Keywords
Nearly 75% of resumes that go through an ATS are eliminated because they don't meet the requirements the hiring manager specified—such as the right skills, education level, or job titles—according to Monster research.
Want to know the secret for getting past the ATS? It’s all in the job ad. Think of the job ad as a sort of blueprint to help you glean what an employer is hoping to see.
We know there’s a lot of info in those job ads, but often, hiring managers will list the most important qualifications toward the top, so go right ahead and use some of the same terms in your resume.
Monster's resume review can tell you if you’ve included relevant keywords and information to show why you're a good fit for the job.
3. Your Resume Is Misleading or Unclear
Sure, your official job title might be “Galactic Viceroy of Research Excellence,” “dean of pizza,” or “Chief Unicorn Officer,” but what the heck does that mean? Don’t assume the ATS will have the answer. The ATS might take those words and phrases in your resume out of context and reject your application.
Aside from creative job titles, if you mash together job ad keywords and your experience in an attempt to make yourself look more impressive, it could very likely backfire. Remember, a human being will (hopefully) eventually be reading your resume so it needs to be clear and focused.
If that’s not your specialty, don’t stress. Monster's resume review can catch unclear job titles and other misleading statements that need clarification.
4. You Forgot to Focus on the Formatting
It should be easy for a busy hiring manager to find all of the relevant information like company names, dates, job titles, and accomplishments. So from an aesthetic as well as a practical point of view, your resume’s format needs to be easy to read and follow.
Step one: Just say no to Comic Sans. Use a standard font because the ATS robots and hiring managers prefer common fonts like Arial or Times New Roman and a simple format that’s easy to interpret. Save the creative pie charts, graphs, and icons for the interview.
Step two: Don’t skip any of the basics in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. Monster's free resume assessment will also point out if your resume doesn’t include all of the standard sections like your experience, education, and skills.
Even if you graduated from college 20 years ago, you should still include the section because your resume might not be passed along to recruiters and hiring managers if you don’t fill out all the information the system requires.
5. You Didn’t Go the Extra Mile
Employers want to be impressed, so it's very much worth it to take the time to make sure your resume is as awesome as it can be. Put in that effort. Monster can help. Get a free resume review today. It's fast and simple (and did we mention free?). You’ll learn how you can optimize your resume for your industry and preferred role, customize your resume with relevant keywords, get past the robots, and much more.