Does Your Resume Stand Out?

Over my career, I've filled hundreds of roles and the amount of resumes I've viewed are easily in the thousands. There is one thing that all great resumes possess and it's really no different from a high converting ad for your company. 

So, what does a great resume do for you? To be clear, a great resume won't guarantee an interview, much less a job offer. So, why should you care if your resume stands out? While it is true that nearly all applicant tracking systems (ATS) are based on a keyword-matching algorithm; the truth is not every company uses an ATS and even if they do, eventually, the resume will still be scrutinized by human beings and since human beings are not robots, it is up to you to make sure the person on the other end sees your connection to the role being filled.

What is the most proven way to achieve this? Alignment. Every section of your resume should directly align to a need that is described in the job description. 

Let's start with the summary. These two - three sentences are arguably the most important section. Why? Because humans will only read this section if it sucks. They will not read the rest of your resume if the summary is bad. It must be completely aligned to the job posting. That means when job seeking, you must customize this element of your resume to match every single job for which you apply. 

Here's what you must do. When reading a job posting, you must identify the overall most important aspect of the job. Then, write a summary that says you can do that thing and presents evidence of you having done that thing somewhere else.

Here's an example. Let's say the job posting is for a recruiter. A compelling summary might be, I have years of full cycle recruiting experience in multiple industries for all levels of work. My secret to success is maintaining a time of fill of less than 40 days and a quality of hire KPI of +70.

Great summaries leave the reader wanting to know more and if you achieve that, then the reader will continue to read your resume. The rest of your resume must support what you relay in the summary. Think data points, evidence, and results. Don't waste your time outlining the tasks or work you owned. No one cares. Tell the reader what happened as a result of you owning that work. 

Leila Hormozi, CEO of Acquisition.com, dives into the specifics of each resume section in this video. 

In short, treat your resume like an advertisement for yourself. Include only the experience and skills that support your fit for the job you want. Do share results, outcomes, and achievements that best illustrate your ability to do the job well. Most importantly, everything you include should directly align to a stated need or problem listed in the job description.