3 Ways to Optimize Your Resume for Job Search Sites When it comes to making a resume, break through the clutter with these helpful tips.
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When you sit down to make a resume, you're likely thinking about communicating your job roles, skills, and personal interests. When making a resume, it helps to keep the next step in mind: namely, posting your resume to job search sites. These sites simplify the hiring process, serve up thousands of relevant listings, and lead to opportunities that may not have been on your radar.
With a high volume of applications coming in every day to sites like ZipRecruiter and others, how do you make a resume stand out and get noticed? Job search sites and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) leverage powerful algorithms to sift through all of them.
You can improve your chances of landing your dream job by optimizing your resume for job search sites. Whether you're just entering the job market, looking for a new position, switching industries or getting back into the workforce after time off, these simple yet powerful tips can boost the visibility of your resume and help you stand out in a sea of applicants.
Related: Which Is the Better Job Board, ZipRecruiter or Indeed?
1. Optimize with keywords and phrases.
Job search sites leverage search queries to find a match. If you notice common phrases or ways of wording things in similar job listings, consider applying that verbiage when you sit down to make a resume. Using similar language to the job description to catch the attention of the algorithm and recruiters. To help youre resume stand out on a job board like ZipRecruiter, using keywords naturally in descriptions, et.c, is ideal. The higher up your key words or phrases appear in your resume, the better.
Even job titles vary between companies. By generalizing your job title to something more universal, you're making it easier for the Applicant Tracking System and reviewers to understand how relevant your experience is to a certain position.
2. Simplify the formatting.
You've seen it before. Uploading your resume to a job site only to fill in the exact information in the application. The alternative is that the job site pulls the info straight from your resume into the application, but the correct fields don't always populate. Images, fancy fonts and colors can confuse the algorithm.
As nice as a unique resume is for humans, try to stick with easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Times New Roman when uploading to a job search site.
Related: Job Boards vs. Job Recruiter: The Pros and Cons
3. Quantify your achievements.
When you make a resume, emphasize the results of your achievements to demonstrate your value to your recruiters. Be as specific as possible. Measurable success is a fantastic way to illustrate how you've impacted previous roles and how you may perform in your next position.
In addition to having a stellar resume, once you get rolling in the hiring process, you'll also want to emphasize other areas recruiters may be interested in. Consider giving your LinkedIn profile and even your portfolio or website a makeover with these optimization tips.
Once your resume is tailored for job sites, it's time to get yourself out there. Job search sites allow you to cast a wide net and let you filter job listings based on what you're looking for. ZipRecruiter is a free and popular choice among job seekers and recruiters. It's rated the #1 job site in the U.S.1 and leverages sophisticated AI-matching technology to simplify job searching by connecting hiring managers at top companies with the right candidate – almost like a personal recruiter. ZipRecruiter serves your resume to companies that match your profile so that they can apply to you.
Also rated as the #1 job search app on IOS and Android2, its one-tap-apply functionality lets you effortlessly apply to jobs on the go.
No matter where you are in the hiring process, job search sites can be excellent tools for presenting the right opportunities to advance your career. With a bit of personalization and optimization, you can ensure your resume doesn't get overlooked for the job you were made for.
1 Based on job seeker app ratings, Feb 2021 from AppFollow for ZipRecruiter, CareerBuilder, Craigslist, Glassdoor, Indeed, LinkedIn, and Monster.
2Based on G2 satisfaction ratings as of December 31, 2020
