A resume is key to getting the right job. However, if your resume never reaches the hands of a hiring manager or Human Resources contact, your resume essentially goes in the garbage. How does this happen? Quick answer: It gets caught up in the employer’s automated resume filtering system.
So, how do you avoid getting caught up in that system? How do you get your resume before human eyes? Here’s a few tips to get you started!
Hyperlinks
Avoid adding hyperlinks to your resume. The coding behind the hyperlink can often prevent it from making it through the employer’s filtering system. The two most common areas that this comes into play is when email address and LinkedIn profile addresses are added to a resume. Make sure to deactivate these links!
Sometimes it will also come into play if you have published works and want to hyperlink out to them. While creating ease for the employer if they want to view them, a quick google search will do the trick for them if they have the right information. And, again, by deactivating the links you aren’t getting caught up in their filtering system.
Templates
Don’t be tempted to use the Word templates to format your resume. While it may help line things up a bit easier for you, these too can cause your resume details to fail to carry over into the potential employer’s system. Less data in, less chances for you at the job. Stick to working from scratch to avoid this!
Graphics
Graphics, such as personal pictures, can really personalize a resume, but… they are one more thing that can cause a resume to fail to pass through the filtering system. Most tools aren’t designed to read or ignore them.
As an alternate, utilize LinkedIn to post a professional picture. Typically, the best pictures are the ones without any distractions behind you and with a white or very light background. That way you “pop” in the picture.
Consistency
Above all, be consistent within your resume. When you use dates, display them the same way (October vs. Oct.). Also, be consistent in your formatting. If you use bullet points for one job (which I highly recommend), use them for all jobs.
Maintain consistent margins, bolding, italicizing, and to some degree fonts. Make sure the same type of information (i.e. employer name) is in the same font and font size throughout. Same with bolding and italicizing.
Visually Appeal
Once you have completed an initial draft of your resume, stand back. Does your resume look visually appealing? Does it make you want to read it? Is there enough white space that what you do have on there “pops?”
What are your resume tips?
I would love to hear your resume tips or strategies for formatting. Also, if you have any questions on the above, please don’t hesitate to share them.
Don’t forget to check out Creating a Strong Resume: The Basics and Your Resume: The Introductory Portion for more tips!
These are great tips! I always found it hard to find balance between making it look visually appealing/fit my personality vs making it professionally acceptable.
It is a careful balance, isn’t it Jen? You do always want your resume to sound like you, even if you have a professional resume writer write it for you.
Great tips! I have a few different ones with different layouts and levels of formality depending on the kind of role that it’s for. Consistency is so important! x
Sophie
Great points Sophie – customizing your resume for the type of position!
Its take a while to get it right but these are fab tips. Thank you for sharing and we are pleased that we are doing them…though I may need to get rid of a hyperlink or two! ????
I”m’ glad you are finding these tips helpful TBC!
These are great tips! I think getting the careful balance is so important! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Rach – I agree, getting the careful balance is so important!
These are great tips!! They’ll definitely help when I get to writing one!
Happy to hear that you are finding these tips helpful Sophie Lou! Thanks for stopping by!
These are great ideas! I’ve always struggled with writing mine and have never been happy with it, but I will definitely try these tips! Thanks for sharing ☺️
You are welcome Maddie – I hope you find them helpful! More to come!
I’d never even considered that there would be some sort of filtering system for CVs. I also would never add a photo of myself as racism is still a huge problem, and I want to be judged on my ability, not on the colour of my skin
Excellent point about wanting to be judged by ability – that really should be the key and only factor
Great tips! Actually updated my resume yesterday!
Glad you enjoyed the tips I’m all Booked up – hope they were helpful in your resume update!
Wow this is really helpful. Thanks for sharing!
You are very welcome Lauren – I’m glad you found it helpful!
Great tips! Thanks so much for sharing. I’m currently revamping my CV so this is super useful x
https://www.femaleoriginal.com
It sounds like this article was perfect timing for you Faye – I’m happy to hear it was helpful!
You’re right about the templates – so tempting, but on our system at work they sometimes don’t come through correctly, which means the employer has to do more work and has to really want to put you on the system!
You are so right Meaghan – they are very tempting!! But also potentially a show-stopper!
I’m definitely going to bookmark this post for a later date. I really needed this before my new job! Thank you for the tips!
You are very welcome Jenn – glad you got a lot out of it!
Great tips! I really found a difference when I made mine more visual!
Glad you like the tips Shannon! Visual appeal is so important – it can make what you have written “pop” or blend!
I actually use a free online CV builder, which really helped me to craft my resume. At my interview for my placement my CV was actually brought up by the interviewers as they really liked how it was done. I also got the position, but the coronavirus happened and my placement had to be put on hold, sigh.
So sorry to hear that your job is on hold Unwanted Life, hopefully soon you can get back to it!