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Employers review hundreds of resumes daily looking for the right candidate to fill their open positions, but here is a secret.  Before the resume gets to the recruiter, it has been screened by an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to see which resumes will even make the first cut.

An Applicant Tracking System is a software program that helps companies organize candidates for recruitment purposes.  These systems allow businesses to collect information, manage prospects based on experience and skill set, and filter applicants.

You should consider yourself lucky if your resume has passed the first cut in the vetting process and makes it to a Recruiter or Hiring Manager desk, but from that point, you only have 6 seconds to make that first impression.  Over 100 Talent Specialists were surveyed on how much time they spent reviewing each resume, and the response was “on average-six seconds.”

Here are some resume tips that will help you land the job:

1. Use keywords in the job description
A great place to start is to make sure that your resume reflects keywords on the job description.  Using keywords may means that you will have multiple versions of your resume depending on your experience.

2. Make good use of real estate on your resume
Make sure your resume is not too cluttered.  Do not try to put your life’s history on your resume.  If you have many years of experience, try to go back for ten years, listing the most relevant information first. There should be a fair amount of white space on your resume.

3. Use professional fonts
Because recruiters only have a short time to review your resume, stick with the basic fonts such as Ariel, Times New Roman, and Calibri, and keep the size between 10 to 12 points. Using bold fonts is okay to highlight certain skill sets but try to use this feature to a minimum. I would say to stay away from italics as it does not read well with the ATS.

4. Proofread and edit
Make sure that your resume goes through several rounds of proofreading before you hit the send button. Make use of the spelling and edit apps that are available.  Also, have several people read and re-read to ensure that your resume is error-free.

Your resume reflects you and your brand, and you only have a short time to make that impression, so make it count! Polishing The Professional can help you spruce up your resume so you can make a lasting impression anywhere you apply. Call us at (877) 765-4748 to learn more about our services and what we have to offer.