Is chanting “please God help me find a job” part of your daily routine? If it is you might need to move on to Plan B of your job search. You’re going to have to take action quickly so you don’t drive yourself crazy.
I was talking to a coaching client of mine yesterday who said he was not getting calls from employers. He sent his resumes to more than ten employers and only got one interview. Hmmm. . . it sounds like a problem with his resume. So, I sent him a link to Document Pros as a resource so he could see that I was not wrong in assuming that his documents were sub par. I asked him a couple of questions about his resumes and how he was sending it out.
I discovered that my client did not realize he should:
#1) Avoid sending out the exact same resumes to all ten employers.
#2) Always send a cover letter with the resume.
#3) Create a text version of the resume and tailor it to each job site’s requirements.
#4) Modify keywords to ensure the resume is relevant to the position.
#5) Add relevant keywords to the properties section of the document.
#6) Test the document’s appearance by distributing to friends/family.
He can increase the success of his job search simply by employing the above. He should:
#1) Tailor the resume to each position for which he applies. Each employer is not looking for the same level of expertise, experience, technical skills, or qualities so one resume will not work. Remember there is no such thing as an effective general resume. The resume is much more effective if it is fine tuned to meet the needs of each employer.
#2) Always send a cover letter. It is a MUST because it is a courtesy and an introduction. Don’t overlook this one EVER. About a third of job seekers don’t send a cover letter – gain a competitive edge by sending one.
#3) Never use a cut and paste version of a Word document to post resumes in job sites. The formatting shifts and the resumes can become a mess for the reader to try and sift through. Create a text version of the resume and tailor it to each job site’s requirements.
#4) Always modify the keywords within the resume so that they are relevant to the position.
#5) Fill in the properties section within the document with additional relevant keywords for even greater impact.
#6) Distribute the text resume to friends/family to ensure it is legible and properly formatted.
By taking some quick steps (Plan B), my client will increase his chances at getting interviews. Please God help me find a job will be a thing of the past. By changing up your current approach, you should quickly see career-changing results!