Your Resume Sucks (and How to Fix It): The first half page

I have been unemployed for many months, but after over a hundred resumes sent out, I have been dismissed left and right as unsuitable. Many of my resumes did not even generate a rejection notice.  They were so bad, they probably got filed as spam. I've even interviewed once or twice but did not pass the first round, even for pretty much entry-level positions. 

So what was wrong? Apparently, my resumes really do suck. I used to just list what I did, cramming as many keywords in as possible. That does NOT work.  

Modern hiring managers and/or screener sdon't read the resumes from beginning to end. They don't have the time. Instead, they use a program called ATS (applicant tracking system). 

First, your resume goes through ATS (applicant tracking system), which uses AI and NLP to pull out keywords that supposedly match what the position is looking for and rates your resume, then dumps those that don't meet a certain minimum rating. 

BONUS TIP: If you applied but never got a reply, your resume sucks so bad, it was discarded by the ATS. 

The resumes that make it past the ATS will then be scanned (NOT read) by the hiring manager. And only the top 1/3rd, maybe 1/2 page, i.e. the name and initial summary of qualifications, will be scanned. You have a VERY LIMITED space to make a good impression on WHY they should read the rest of the resume. 

Once you caught their attention, THEN they would want to read the rest of your resume. If they decided it's not worth considering, you get the dreaded "After careful consideration, we are not moving forward..." rejection notice. If they decided you look interesting enough to warrant a look, a screener then calls you up and do a preliminary interview (aka "round 1"). 

If you are used to writing or scriptwriting, think of the top of the resume as the synopsis. You need to write enough (like an "elevator pitch") about yourself that the hiring manager or screener would want to read the rest of your resume to find out more about you. 

This also means you HAVE to tailor your story (aka your "branding") to fit the position... First, you need to fit in enough keywords to get past the ATS, then put in a summary interesting enough to catch the hiring manager's interest. Then finally, make the rest of your resume interesting enough to read instead of being round filed (i.e. recycle bin). 

Let's say you are applying for a webdev job. (This blog is "KC on WebDev", right?)

So tell me, why should I hire you for a webdev job instead of one of the bazillion candidates out there? What makes you special? 

If you reply with a standard pitch such as 

Software engineer with 5+ years of corporate app development and technical support experience, from requirement gathering to delivery and support; oral and written communication with all user levels; customer service experience, adaptable to rapidly changing environment

I'd just yawn... "Next!"

Why? You've not demonstrated anything really outstanding. Okay, you know DOS from Windows. You can read product specs. You can talk with users and your manager. You've written a few apps. You claim to be adaptable. Normal stuff, something everybody has or claims or does. And I am hiring a webdev, not tech support or app developer. This summary statement tried to cover "all bases" and is NOT tailored to a webdev position. It is just a LOUSY summary for a webdev position. 

You need to stand out, without lying. 

But if your pitch was instead:

Results-driven certified full-stack developer with experience in strategic problem-solving, process improvement, and out-of-box thinking. Excellent verbal and written communication skills with customer engagement. Innovative solutions with MS SQL and MySQL, Node.js, React.js, Bootstrap, RESTful API, Python, and more.    

Did you notice the difference? Now that tells me a lot more, even though it roughly says the same thing, as it crammed a lot more keywords and sounds far more impressive. I really know how to solve problems from specs to deployment! I'm certified in full-stack! I know how to engage customers and can speak and write nicely! I know that tech stack and more! Now there is someone I may want to hire!

There are tools like JobScan.co that will analyze a position's listing for you and tell you how suitable your resume is (i.e. its chances of making it past the ATS) by analyzing the listing and compare it against your resume. 

There is also software like Rezi or Resoume that helps you write such a resume. Whether they are any good is anyone's guess. 

But they aren't required. You can use JobScan, or you can highlight keywords in the position ad yourself and try to fit those keywords into your resume and cover letter. 

Then you will get your resume past the ATS. 

And the rest is up to you. 

The next post will be about how to word the rest of the resume to SUPPORT your story. But to give you a preview... 

If you are looking for a webdev position, and you listed a bunch of tech support jobs, you have to explain WHY those job experiences are relevant of you getting a webdev position. Did you do tech support for a webdev company? For a webdev tool provider? Or did you just answer questions about Windows and printers and stuff unrelated to webdev?