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Amy Rossi
Q: I am submitting my resume, but am not getting called for an interview. What am I doing wrong?
A: Excluding normal hiring factors, like internal candidates, budget, and the hiring timeline, applicants usually don’t get a call because of resume content. You do not have the skills, or you are not showing that you have the skills in your resume, that will pull your application through the applicant tracking system. Try pulling a few job descriptions and analyze the them for qualifications and industry “buzz” words. Make sure these words appear in your resume.
Q: What is the best resume format to use?
A: There is not one best “format” to use. It depends on you, your experience, and the industry in which you are applying. Gone are the days when you would do either a chronological or functional resume. What is currently trending is a one- page targeted resume with a robust LinkedIn profile. See the provided sample.
Q: Should I include an objective?
A: You can either include an objective or a professional summary. If you are looking to continue a career in which you have experience, you should include a professional summary. If you are looking to change careers, re-enter a career, or get started in a new career, you should include an objective. An objective quickly summarizes the job you want and why YOU are a GOOD FIT for the position, not the MOST QUALIFIED. Keep in mind most recruiters are hiring for multiple positions and looking at over 200 resumes per position.
Q: Should I include a statement in the experience section to explain the employment gap?
A: It is not necessary to explain employment gaps in the resume. If you feel compelled to explain your history, you can include the information in the cover letter. MOST recruiters prefer gaps to be filled with volunteer experience. Additionally, you can include year ranges, rather than month/year ranges, to reduce the attention to gaps. Either way, it is critical that you make sense to the recruiter. If you say you have experience, they need to be able to verify the number of years of experience and where the experience was gained. Don’t fret too much about gaps; instead, show how the experiences you do have make you a great candidate.
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