This blog post is a continuance of “9 Reasons Your Resume Gets Rejected,” so check it out before you read further!
For a recruiter, the best indication of your future performance is what you’ve accomplished in your past positions. Now, if you can demonstrate how you have implemented these skills, rather than just claiming them, you’ll get much further.
Here are a few tips to help you make it past the resume rejection pile:
Show Teamwork
This works very well for projects you worked on and couldn’t take full credit for. Make sure to show the actual number of team members you worked with because numbers and stats add substance to your resume, even if they’re ballpark estimates. Try to use these keywords: collaborated, contributed, supported, aided.
Show Initiative and Hard Work
Include something you accomplished within the first 30-60-90 days in a past job or even in a volunteer role. Showing that you can hit the ground running and make some immediate contributions to a firm or company goes a long way with recruiters or future employers.
Show Results
Showcasing a time that you increased revenue or saved the company money is a slam dunk because most employers make decisions, including hiring decisions, based on anticipated financial outcomes. Perform some research on percentages and stats related to improvements made to quantify your accomplishments. While rough numbers and ranges are acceptable, make sure to back up your claims by showing how you got there.
Show Leadership
If you managed a 5-person task force to create a paperless file system for a 30-person firm, show it on your resume! Did it involve negotiating contracts with third-part companies? Show that as well. If you trained staff, make sure to show that too.
Utilize these keywords that show leadership in your context: negotiated, managed, trained, delegated.
Also, keep in mind that if you ever presented an idea or project, or made a proposal to a group, these can be added as leadership examples.
What if you don’t have much experience? It’s okay, you can still include any skills or accomplishments you’ve had in volunteer or civic settings. If you haven’t been involved in any of these, now is the time to take a lead role on a volunteer project of offer to chair a committee or club. Use any professional membership organizations to find opportunities to support their community. Join a local chapter, help plan events and make sure to attend networking events that could possibly lead to more leadership experience.