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Make Sure Your Resume Contact Info is Readable!

Your resume may look fantastic with your name and contact information in the header & footer  - it also makes it easy to format and keeps the content nice and clean. 

But beware!  Most resume databases won’t recognize your name or contact information when it’s in the header/footer.  That means that any place that you have uploaded your resume through an online system – has recorded your name as “Objective” or “Summary” (the first few words of the content portion of your resume) and all of your contact info is lost - unless someone on staff notices the error and takes the time to fix it.  Not likely, in a market where candidates are flooding companies with resumes and applications.  Recruiters can hardly keep up!

So, do yourself a favor…pull your contact information out of the header/footer section and drop it into the resume.   That way, when someone wants to contact you about a job, they can!

plum comments: I have posted my resume on "all the career sites" and no one is calling. What's up?

There are a lot of websites where can post your resume for recruiters and employers to find you, however, most of the sites require recruiters and employers to “subscribe” to access the database.  For example, action sport candidates may decide to post their resume to Malakye (great niche site, by the way); but recruiters must have a subscription to the site to view it.  It costs $825 for one month of access to their resume database.  To access Monster (National Search), recruiters/employers pay $975 for 2 weeks of resume search – but recruiters are restricted to viewing only 500 resumes! Careerbuilder charges $600 for 2 weeks access (300 resume views a day).  Expensive? You decide!  

In the current economic climate, many employers are cutting back and not subscribing to these databases, simply because they are hiring less, so your resume may never be seen.  

What should you do to make sure people see your resume?

We recommend you post your resume (profile) on LinkedIn, since it is free for all employers and recruiters. Post your resume and link to your friends, associates, former colleagues, etc., to improve your visibility. (You can upload your contacts to LinkedIn through their “Import Contacts” tools).  Be sure to invite us to join your network here and here!  We have a few thousand direct connections and by linking to us, you will be increasing your visibility exponentially.  

Finally, consider joining groups (as we have suggested in the past) to improve the likelihood of being found by recruiters and employers looking for people like you.

Tips for Getting Noticed by Recruiters

When applying for a job, it is important to make a good first impression, agree?  The best way to do that is to tailor your resume for each position for which you are applying.  Typically, a recruiter spends less than 10 seconds determining if you are a fit for a job. That's not a lot of time, so make sure it counts.

Customize your resume:  You don't need to include every job responsibility you've ever had on your resume.  Tailor the experience you include - so that it addresses the specific position requirements for the job you want. Your resume should “explain” exactly why you are a fit for a particular position.

Know what you want:  If you want a position in marketing, be sure the experience you list in your resume is directly related to the position you want.  If one of the job requirements is “experience managing a team” make sure that your resume specifically includes this experience (provided you have it!).  Go through the list of requirements for the role for which you are applying - and make sure your resume includes all your pertinent experience.

Plan for the “black hole.”  When applying to a database, make your resume work for you.   Make sure the keywords you use to describe your background are obvious.  If you are applying to a Marketing Manager position make sure that the words “marketing manager” are in there.  Sounds easy, right?  Don't try to get fancy, or you may get passed up.  A recruiter looking for a marketing manager in apparel will keyword search their database to find you.  Also, think about using the same terms the company does:  if they use the word clothing, instead of apparel in the job description, make sure your resume has the same verbiage.

Create a profile on LinkedIn.  Make sure your profile is keyword rich, says exactly what you are looking for, and that your settings indicate you are open to hearing about career opportunities (it never hurts to listen). To make it easy for people to contact you, add your email address in your contact settings. On LinkedIn, you have an opportunity to provide advice on how users can contact you - use it! 

Upload your contacts on LinkedIn: The more contacts you have, the more chances you will have to get noticed. LinkedIn makes it easy for you - enabling you to import a variety of formats.

Link to recruiters:  Linking to recruiters increases your visibility.  Recruiters rely on their network for success - use it to enhance yours!   And, if you are in the sport and outdoor industries link to plum - just send us an invitation and we'll accept!  Betsy, Lori, & Sean.