A Resume That Gets Candidates Screened In
Capitalizing on my extensive experience with search engine optimization (since 1996), I cracked the code of the software HR uses to screen resumes. The software is called Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software. It scores each resume. A strong score is achieved by:
- Using content the software can understand. This refers to the wording, or verbal structures, contained within the resume.
- Using a format the software can understand. This refers to the layout of the resume.
ATS requires a resume that is relatively plain-looking. The ATS resume is not a work of art. It is not particularly attractive; it is not eye-catching. If the appearance of your resume is high priority for you, please call me at 416 398-TALK (8255), and I will suggest a solution for you. However, please keep in mind that if your resume is eye-catching, it is highly likely that the ATS machine will not be able to read it and, as a result, very few human beings will ever see it.
The Economy package is a foundation that can be built upon. If you would like a comprehensive list of our "add-ons" or a description of our LinkedIn® optimization services, please contact us, specify the kind of information you would like, and ask us to send it to you.
The add-ons make the package more expensive. So, if you have a limited budget, the best approach is to start with the Economy package. In most cases, it will do the trick.
Procedure
Summary
The procedure is as follows: I ask my client to send me an existing resume. I edit it, ensuring it is compatible with the software HR departments use to screen people out. I typically find typographical, spelling, grammatical, and and other errors. I clean them up. Also, typically, the original contains selling points, but either they are buried or not presented in a way that puts the candidate in the best possible light. I make sure the selling points are noticed by the reader and that their power is maximized.
Detail
A resume is a well-organized, logically constructed body of information that is a reflection of the candidate's organizational skill. In the writing process, the candidate is asked to submit information in a Microsoft Word document. If the information is not reasonably organized, the writer spends extra time reorganizing it, and the price goes up.
An example of a poorly organized resume is one in which the reader has to look in multiple places to get information about a single thing. In a well-organized resume the reader gets comprehensive information about a particular job in a single area of the document. Hiring authorities tend to value such resumes and reward the subjects of these resumes with job interviews.
The Resume Writing Process
First, you email me the current version of your resume (if you don't have one, I will send you instructions, so that you can create one).
SPECIFICATIONS: For the Economy package, the information you provide must be text-based, not an image. It must be contained in a single document, maximum two pages using normal font size, for example, Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 10pt. Top and bottom margins no less than 0.75 inch, left and right margins no less than 1.00 inch.
Use of artificial methods to reduce document length, e.g., stringing bulleted information together in a single paragraph, is not acceptable. Otherwise, an extra charge will apply. If possible, avoid PDFs. Otherwise, a surcharge, minimum C$10 per document, will be levied.
Next, I craft an ATS resume using the above information provided by you in writing, not in a live conversation. The purpose is to produce a resume that is (a) compatible with ATS software and (b) considerably stronger than the original. Typically, I make substantive changes to the original content. However, if your original resume contains content that is perfectly acceptable as is, I do not change it merely for the sake of changing it: that would would make the resume worse.
Most clients submit resumes with bullet points. In most cases, some of these bulleted items will be changed, and some will be left as they are. If you would like your resume to be totally revamped, you need a different kind of package, in which case, we need to talk live.
DISCLAIMER: The Economy resume does not include (a) discussion about strategy, (b) condensing the resume, (c) a guarantee that the final will be a particular length, or (d) technical support including advice regarding the use of Microsoft® Word. For these services, my hourly rate applies.
Why the Economy Resume Package Was Created
This package was created in 2009 because many who wanted to use our resume service could not afford it. We had to find a way of lowering the price while still helping candidates get job interviews. We did this by asking our clients to do some of the work.
|