Why would a company want to interview you if your resume isn’t compelling? Assuming there are 100 applicants, only the top 10 will get a screening interview by phone and 2 to 3 face-to-face interviews. Here’s how to diagnose and fix your resume to at least get a telephone screen.
When you don’t hear back from a company it means your not meeting the minimal requirements of the job. You may be shooting too high and falling short. Reexamine your target, industry, level or compensation. Something is off. If you send out resumes and get a 2% response rate, that’s the same as junk mail. A 10% response rate means you’re minimally penetrating the market. At 50% you’re “hot”. The different between 2% and 50% is the ability to target your experiences to the open position.
Make sure that your network is large enough and active. If your contacts aren’t productive, expand the network and follow-up to find out why. It’s always helpful to meet with contacts and ask them what’s going on in their industry, where’s the growth, who is hiring and who is shrinking their workforce. Explain to your contacts, “I’m testing the marketplace”.
You may be getting a screening call (that’s good) but no face-to-face interviews (that’s bad). When you get a telephone screening interview, be sure to do four things:
Ask “Out of curiosity, what was it about my resume that was of special interest to you?” The answer will tell you what they are looking for, why, and give you invaluable information
Make sure you emphasize the top 5 items described on the position description
Respond to the questions in a short but direct way. Don’t ramble about subjects not asked.
You should focus on three responses to each question: The issue you were to solve, the actions you took, and the measureable results you achieved, all in about 30 seconds
Listen to follow-up questions. Any time an interviewer asks you a follow-up question for more detail, it gives you valuable insight into the issues where they need help.
Here are some reasons why you’re not getting more action and what to do about it :
Your resume isn’t results-oriented. You may have listed responsibilities, activities or skills, but not outcomes. Match your results to the key items on the position description.
Use an Executive Summary at the top of your resume: Focus on your career achievements. When hiring managers scan resumes, you only have about 15 seconds to make your case
Don’t use a narrative form to give your life’s story. The reader will never wade through it all.
Ask yourself how you can differentiate yourself from all others. Show your unique experiences that parallel the job to be done, both for today and tomorrow.
Put the most important things first. Use power words, not passive words. Use metrics.
Figure out what they want, not what you want. Get rid of peripheral non-essentials.
If you can’t put together a compelling resume, you’ll not get an interview. It’s that simple.
Want a free assessment of your resume? wkaufmann1@cox.net
Ready to test the market? Email: Mygreenerfuture1@cox.net