You’ve probably read in many news articles that, unfortunately, millions of individuals have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19. If you are one of them and are currently in the process of your job search (mainly remote work), keep reading. At El Paso Professional Resumes, with our resume writing services, we want to provide you with tips on what to include in your resume when applying for a remote job and convert it into an interview winning resume.
Read The Job Description Carefully and Thoroughly
First of all, don’t just apply to jobs because of the job description. Many people neglect to read it and therefore waste applying to jobs they aren’t fit for. If the job description says you need to be fluent in English and Spanish, but only know basic Spanish, don’t apply for it. Another example is the number of years of experience they ask for. Don’t waste your time applying for it if they’re asking for ten but you only have two. Besides reading thoroughly, reading carefully is key. Some hiring managers will try to keep you on your toes by inserting a specific to-do for you in the job description. If an applicant does not fulfill it, this helps hiring managers make the first candidate cut.
Differentiate Yourself From Others
We have an estimate as to how many Americans are unemployed due to COVID-19 (more than 20 million) so that gives you an idea of the number of applicants you’re up against. For this reason, it’s imperative to find a way to set yourself apart from the rest. Of course the facts such as your qualifications and your years of experience matter. However, your personal value proposition (PVP) stands out the most to hiring managers. After reading through the job description, you can tweak your PVP to showcase your distinctive qualities based on what the hiring company needs and wants from you. This beginning section of your resume is at the heart of your career strategy. With our resume writing services we can assist you in writing a powerful PVP that will lead to an interview winning resume. However, we’ll leave some tips here for you to try it on your own. Your main goal is to identify your strengths and tie them to the company’s needs. Make your case convincing by laying out your achievements as proof of those strengths. This will aid in making you stand out from others who either have an out-dated objective statement or a boring and basic PVP. In addition, if you are applying for remote jobs make sure to add in your PVP a word such as “remote.” This actually leads us to our next point.
Use Keywords
Nowadays, when your job search is being conducted online you are up against the Applicant Tracking System (ATS). These bots were created mainly for big companies that needed help with the thousands of applications they receive. You have to get past ATS in order to succeed, which demands using keywords such as compelling action verbs. If you don’t use keywords that relate to the position you’re applying for you will be one of those in the first cut of candidates. Choose the most powerful keyword and sprinkle them throughout the resume 2-3 times making sure you aren’t stuffing it with them. A wise way to determine which keywords to use is writing down your list of skills and ranking them strongest to most valuable. Then, look through the keywords in the job descriptions or in the company’s website and match them with yours. Repeat this every time you apply for a job online since every company will have different keywords. Demonstrate how well you use your skills by using numbers and achievements to spice them up.
Keep It Simple
The simpler and cleaner the better. Otherwise, you’ll be confusing the ATS bots and the hiring officials reading your resume. When submitting your resume, submit it as a Word Doc unless the company asks for it in any other format. Furthermore, settle upon a resume layout that is the most appropriate for you. If you’ve had a steady and long career path you can use the reverse chronological format. However, before you begin writing, remember this: a hiring manager will spend an average of between 6 to 9 seconds reading a resume and making the decision of throwing you in the pile of rejects or calling you for the next step. Keep it professional and avoid using too many words.
After gathering all this information, you can lay foundation for your interview winning resume and start your job search. Tailor your resume to each role you’re applying to and don’t overdo keywords. Format it in a way that your resume will read well and its writing will seem natural. Read it two, three, and four times to make sure there are no errors. Have someone revise it as well and if you don’t want to take any chances seek a professional resume writer. Even if our resume writing services are located in El Paso, we can assist you remotely and help you land the next job interview.