A big part of creating a resume that recruiters love is knowing what to keep and what to eliminate. Routinely going through your resume and deleting certain information should help you optimize it and impress recruiters. Here are some specific things that should be removed.
Extended Employment Gaps
“In today’s job market, with lay-offs and downsizing, being unemployed for a few months is typical,” explains career expert Carol Milano. “If you’ve been job-hunting longer than three months, try to find a volunteer, part-time or temporary position within your field.” Partnering with a staffing agency is a good idea because they can help match you with a suitable job based on your knowledge and skillset.
You should never lie about an employment gap, but filling it with something positive (even if it’s only temporary) can be a huge help. The ultimate goal is to show continuous employment, so this can accomplish that even if you weren’t technically employed in a full-time position the entire time.
Irrelevant Work Experience
Say that you’ve worked in multiple industries during the course of your career. While it would be fine if you listed being a line cook when applying for a position within a restaurant, this would be ill-advised if you were applying for a position as a machinist.
Having related experience is usually the main thing hiring managers are looking for when combing through resumes, so if you include blatantly irrelevant work experience, it’s going to hurt your chances dramatically. Therefore, it’s important to routinely fine-tune your resume and edit your work experience based on the specific type of position you’re applying for.
Generic Information That Lacks Concrete Data
Recruiters want to know the exact impact you had in previous jobs so they can figure out whether or not you’d be an asset to their company. One way they find out is by looking at quantifiable data on your resume. For example, you might mention that you helped improve productivity by 10 percent during a previous job as a machinist or you handled 50 outbound calls a day as a customer service representative. The point here is to delete generic information that lacks concrete data and replace it with quantifiable information.
There’s a lot that goes into successful resume writing. A good starting point is to “get rid of the skeletons” by eliminating information that could turn off hiring managers. Focusing on these three areas should help you quickly improve your resume and catch the eye of more recruiters.
Looking to accelerate your job search and find open positions in your area? Get in touch with Encadria Staffing Solutions today.
