Crafting the Perfect Job Procuring Resume

In recent years it is no secret that the economy has definitely seen quite a few ups and downs and unfortunately the downswings considerably outweigh the upswings. Because of this, individuals who haven't even had to entertain the idea of job seeking for years or even decades have seen their job security diminish before their very eyes. Whether they were caught in the "lay off net" that left millions out of work or they just want to be proactive and look for alternate employment in case they are laid off, the number of people needing to create resumes for the first time in quite some time has increased exponentially literally almost over night. Because of this, the labor market is filled with highly qualified job seekers who haven't a clue about what a current resume should look like or how to craft one. With that being said, let us take a look at what employers are looking for within a current resume in this volatile job market.

Firstly, as stated above, the amount of new job seekers flooding the market is almost unbelievable as unemployment rates are nearing highs not seen in multiple decades but contrary to popular belief, employers are still hiring-just more selectively. According to CareerBuilder, 55% of hiring managers will spend less than 60 seconds peering over a resume with an additional 29% giving your resume less than two minutes of overview. This is why it is extremely imperative that your resume stand out as it is bound to be but one piece of paper or email sitting on a desk or inbox filled with hundreds more.

The first thing you need to do is toss out your old resume that you utilized to get your current or most recent job. That resume is antiquated and undoubtedly not built for the current job market atmosphere. Obviously you should jot down the important facts such as times and dates of employment as well as employers but outside of that you need to start fresh in terms of verbiage used. In recent years, word processors have seen many template upgrades and thus there are specialized resume templates for various industries. Make use of these and look for a template that fits the specific industry you will be attempting to procure employment in. Industry specific resumes can come in handy as they are geared towards that specific industry and minimize superfluous fluff while maximizing necessary info like qualifications, accomplishments, and industry centric experience.

When you begin crafting your resume from the ground up, stay away from cliche terms like "multi-tasker", "Goal oriented", "hard working", etc... as employers see these statements so often that their minds literally look right over them when reading your resume. It is expected that you possess those qualities so stating them is not only redundant but a waste of valuable resume space. Instead of focusing on standard expectations, take some time out to detail the various accomplishments you have achieved within your employment history. These accomplishments will inherently be specific to you and thus stand out from any other resume, garnering you a better chance of a call back and subsequent job offer. Employ a thesaurus to help alleviate any generic terms residing within your resume.

Another good idea to employ is the usage of quantifying data i.e. numbers, percentages, or dollar amounts that back up your claims of accomplishments. This further separates you from the larger pool and differentiates job responsibilities from accomplishments. If you work in the retail industry, don't simply state that you had the highest sales volume in a given quarter-actually state the sales volume! Seeing "Highest Sales Volume" on a resume sounds nice but seeing " In the last quarter I was responsible for $400,000 in sales" gives the hiring manager something to associate you with in their mind.

Make sure you explain any gaps in work history either by explicitly stating them or using a functional resume as opposed to a chronological one. If you have had trouble finding a job, most employers in this day and age can understand that so it won't look as bad on your resume as it would have in previous eras. If you feel uncomfortable stating work history gaps, employ a functional resume. Unlike a chronological resume that shows work history based on dates and times, a functional resume lists a skill related to the specific job and follows that up with a list of accomplishments that effectively demonstrate your ability to carry out the job in question.

After you have done all of the above, it is necessary to go back through your resume literally from top to bottom. You must check your resume for errors as believe it or not most people will inadvertently misspell their phone number, address, email, etc as they are so used to typing or writing it that they deem it unnecessary to verify its correct spelling. If your phone number is wrong or email address is wrong, how can you expect a follow up from the hiring party? Also, check for consistency throughout the resume. Are all fonts consistent? Is the resume formatted properly? Do all of the dates add up properly? These are questions that need to be verified.

In summation, the job market is flooded with new applicants with large amounts of experience in their respective fields. Because of this, the market is more competitive than it has been in decades and it is quintessential that you craft a resume that not only makes you stand out but that makes you a shoe-in for the position. If you adhere to the above mentioned tips and tricks, you will undoubtedly increase your chance of procuring a job ten fold easily.