What Happens to Your Resume After You Apply

I've been telling job seekers this for years.
I'm obviously not the only one, but sometimes peopel listen to one voice better than another.
I'm always for giving people a choice.
Thanks!
Ev

What Happens to Your Resume After You Apply
by Billye Survis
Did you ever wonder what happens to your resume once you apply to a job? You finally find the perfect job posting, you’ve read the job description a hundred times and KNOW you can do the job; it’s the dream job you’ve always wanted. So, you sit down and write a carefully crafted cover letter outlining your skills and how you would be the perfect fit for the job. You edit your resume to better showcase your skills as they relate to the position. Finally, after spell and grammar check, and a last minute once-over, you submit your resume through the online application. You did it! You applied! You just know as soon as the corporate recruiter reads your resume you’re going to get a phone call. In fact it’s been 15 minutes since you submitted your resume, you should be getting a call any minute….
As a corporate recruiter, more often than not I find that people applying for jobs through our website are not qualified for the position they are applying for. On average I would say that two thirds of applicants for any given position are not a fit. While they may state a good case in their cover letter as to why they would like the job and think they are a good fit for the position; in reality based upon the experience listed on their resume they have no relevant experience and it is really more like a “dream job.” As both a professional resume writer and a corporate recruiter, I view hundreds of resumes a day and my biggest “pet peeve” is when someone applies to a job that they are not remotely qualified for. If I specifically state in my job description that the successful candidate MUST HAVE PLC programming experience or a CPA certification, I will only consider candidates that have that experience listed on their resume.


So, what can you do to increase your chances of making it through the initial screening and get your resume in front of the hiring manager? Make sure you pay close attention to the job description of the position you are applying for and have a “real” handle on what your skills and experience are. Make sure you edit your resume and create a new cover letter specific for each position, bringing out the qualifications you have that match what the job description is asking for. Utilize key words found in the job description and work them in to your resume and cover letter. If the job description states that a requirement is to have PLC programming and troubleshooting experience, detail that not only in your cover letter but also in your resume, giving specific information as to what types of PLC’s you worked with and what your responsibilities were. If the position requires a CPA certification and an MBA, again, list these qualifications clearly.


Lastly, never be afraid to seek out and contact the company for follow up if you haven’t heard anything about your application after a week. It is perfectly acceptable to call or email to verify that your application has been received and to ask what the process is for resumes to be reviewed.


Good luck!


Billye Survis is a full time Corporate Recruiter for Rockwell Automation during the day professional resume writer/blogger of resume tips at night and superhero wife and mom 24/7. For more resume tips visit: https://resumesurvislady.wordpress.com