Recruiters take an average of less than one minute to initially scan resumes. Wow. After all the hours you took preparing, proofreading and perfecting this professional self portrait, how can you make sure they read it?

How can you grab a recruiter’s attention?

Stand Out from the Competition

Use these tips to grab and hold the attention of a recruiter:

• Build a relationship. A good personality, tact, diplomacy and promptness – as well as your professional qualifications and credentials – are all key building blocks to a successful connection with a recruiter. Remember, when they send you to one of their clients, they put their own reputation on the line. Contact them before submitting your resume, have a chat, and set up a meeting so they can get to know you.
• Use keywords. Pull up your summary statement and skills section to the top of your resume. Comb through the job description to find keywords that keep coming up, and be sure to include them in conjunction with your own experience and achievements. Keywords will stand out on applicant tracking systems, as well as in the eyes of recruiters.
• Make section headings pop. Section headings need to be very clear, so your resume is easy to navigate. Take this a step further by making headings more specific and eye catching. For example, instead of a heading being simply “Experience,” change it to “Project Management Experience” or instead of “Skills,” use “Website Development Skills.”
• Use well-known brands in your favor. If you’ve worked for leading companies with strong reputations, emphasize their names and your accomplishments there. If you can get professional references from these industry leaders, even better.
• Include your interests – as long as they’re interesting. First and foremost, your resume must be professional. But, you don’t always have to omit personal interests, especially interesting ones that may get a recruiter to do a double take. Maybe your hobby is gourmet meal preparation or studying to be a wine sommelier. Provide clues to the interesting, well-rounded individual you are. This helps you to stand out from the candidate crowd without losing your professional style, tone or persona.
• Optimize your social media presence. A good resume is important, but in today’s social media world, it’s simply not enough. Recruiters will check you out on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. For instance, on LinkedIn, your profile should be complete, you should be active in groups, and you need recommendations and skills endorsements. These all impact how well you rank in recruiter searches.

Securing the right recruiting partner is key to your competitive success in today’s job market. Based in greater Syracuse, CPS Recruitment^® can partner with you throughout your search and help you land the position you’ve been waiting for. All fees are client paid, so you incur no costs. Contact us today for more information.