Most job seekers spend a lot of time writing and then rewriting and then polishing up their resumes. By the time they’re done, you’d think whoever is going to read it is going to be hanging on each and every word as if it was Pulitzer-prize winning literature.
Of course, then they send those resumes out to prospective employers and nothing at all comes of it. What happened to that work of art you just spent hours devising?
According to employment experts, it probably ended up in the resume black hole—a dark and dank repository of paper (or email attachments) that never is and never was going to see the light of day.
Here are three tips to help ensure your resume doesn’t end up down there with the rest—
Keywords count: These days many resumes are first scanned not by human eyes but by computerized resume readers that simply look for keywords matching the job description at hand. The more keywords you have that match up to the job description, the more likely your resume will be to move on up to human scrutiny. But be careful how you use those keywords. Just copying and pasting the job description into your resume may seem like an easy way to get around these robotic readers, and you might very well make the electronic cut. But the real human at the end of the chain will certainly notice that you just spit back what was posted in the original ad.
Enlist the support of real people: While it is tempting to think that all you need for an effective job search is a great resume, in reality, it’s going to require some networking too. Find out who the hiring manager is at the hospital where you are applying and apply some creative thought as to how you can connect with that person. AARC members already have an instant connection to many in the field via AARConnect, and with LinkedIn and other professional sites out there today, there is almost always a way to get in touch. You can also tap into any other contacts you have at that hospital, whether from a previous job or while in RT school, and ask them to put in a good word for you with the boss.
Do your research: Hiring processes differ between hospitals. Research the facility where you’ll be applying to find out what the process entails so you’ll know what to expect. Where can you locate that kind of information? Again, go online. Sometimes the hospital website itself will have the information. Other times you may need to dig deeper by contacting someone who works there to find out the standard operating procedure.
