Resume Troubleshooting Tips for Job Search

So you sent your resume to over a dozen jobs online, uploaded it to job boards and still not getting calls? You need Resume Troubleshooting!

Resume Troubleshooting Remedy: IT Resume Template

Resume Troubleshooting Tips

1. Quick Test: Take a print out of your resume and fold the first page in half (text out, top to bottom). Read through the top half and ask yourself, is this 100% relevant to jobs I have been applying for?
2. Technical Skills:Not only do technical skills look awesome on a resume, they also help your resume rank in Boolean Search phrases used by recruiters. For instance, if I opened a resume database and needed a Helpdesk person with Active Directory experience with Windows 7, I would probably key in: (“Helpdesk” OR “Technical Support”) AND “Active Directory” AND (“Windows 7” OR “Win 7” OR “Microsoft Windows 7”) for my search.If a candidate that should show up in my search doesn’t have any of the above listed, I probably won’t find them in my search. If I do find them, I apply the fold test above.More Tips for Troubleshooting your Resume: 7 Deadly Resume Writing Sins
   
3. Do you have personal information listed? Date of Birth, Marital Status, etc… Anything in a protected class? Remove all personal information, it is irrelevant. This includes unrelated hobbies.
4. When listing your job experience, are you elaborating on what you did? Do you mention your accomplishments? Prospective employers love to read about accomplishments as they are easy to quantify and showcase what you can do for them. When listing your job duties in bullet points, make the first few about accomplishments at your previous job.

I can’t guarantee more calls or results, but by making these changes you will greatly improve your odds of getting found on job boards and employer applicant tracking systems. Additionally, you will look more relevant to jobs you are targeting.

Next Step: Job Interview Preparation Techniques