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Today, Coach Darby is answering your questions about AI use when crafting resumes...
1. What can job seekers do to craft resumes that help them stand out from the crowd, and why?
Coach Darby: Job seekers have an average of six to 30 seconds to capture a reader’s attention. That’s why it’s essential to structure your resume so it’s easily scannable, which enables the reader to focus quickly on sections relevant to a particular job. Additionally, highlighting key skills, technologies, industries, and clients at the beginning of your resume is an important competitive step in the job-search process.
2. How important is it to include achievements using numbers, metrics, dollars, and quantities wherever possible, and why?
Coach Darby: Gone are the days when companies used resumes to evaluate whether potential candidates could perform daily responsibilities. If you’re a job seeker, numbers, metrics, dollars, and quantities transform you from someone who completes tasks to an individual who understands revenue and business growth — and can articulate how you would positively impact the bottom line.
3. How targeted should resumes be to the job for which a candidate is applying, and why?
Coach Darby: Whether to create several resume versions or just one is an age-old question. I suggest identifying the top one to three roles you’re passionate about. Once you’ve narrowed down the roles you plan to pursue, consider creating a resume that speaks to each one. As a result, you’ll only need to make slight modifications to align resume content with key requirements and company values noted in the job description (for example, in the summary, areas of expertise, technical skills, and key accomplishments sections of your resume).
4. Many people add that they are “results-driven” on their resumes. Does this help candidates when being evaluated? If yes, why? If not, how can candidates demonstrate their results-driven mentality on resumes without explicitly saying so?
Coach Darby: Your resume is a marketing tool that should help you stand out against other candidates. Avoiding oversaturated terms like “results-driven” is a critical strategy. Instead of telling the reader that you focus on producing results, show them proof by including key accomplishments that start each sentence with a verb, explain business challenges, and highlight metrics or outcomes.
5. Applicant tracking systems are often used to streamline the hiring process. How can job seekers position their resumes for the best chances of success when such systems are being used by the companies they are applying to?
Coach Darby: Certain types of formatting can throw off applicant tracking systems. Consider using simple and streamlined resume layouts without complex graphic design, fonts, columns, and text boxes. Also, utilizing key words strategically and frequently is another great strategy for ensuring the resume makes it past applicant tracking system screening criteria and into the hands of the hiring manager.
6. Is holding an executive position for a long time or demonstrating a solid progression and career over time more important, and why?
Coach Darby: This is a tough one, because there are positive aspects to both situations. On the one hand, executives with long tenure show stability, loyalty, and deep experience providing strategy. On the other hand, job seekers demonstrating progression over time may be considered great coaches who bring a holistic organizational perspective, because they’ve been involved in the business at various operational and professional levels.
7. How important are specific keywords in resumes, what do these keywords look like, how should they be used, and why?
Coach Darby: Including key words on your resume is fantastic way to show alignment between job requirements and relevant professional experience and accomplishments. However, you should avoid simply adding a key word section at the bottom of the resume to mirror job description requirements. Instead, weave the key words into specific resume sections (summary, headers, areas of expertise, technical skills, accomplishments, etc.). The latter approach allows recruiters and hiring managers to get a realistic view of how well you comprehend the role, company, and relevant industry.
8. How should resumes be designed, and why?
Coach Darby: Whether you use a chronological, functional, or hybrid resume layout design depends on certain variables, such as how long you’ve been working, whether you’re pursuing a role in the public or private sector, or you’re an independent contractor, consultant, or executive. When considering resume design, it’s a good idea to consult with an expert for guidance.
9. What personal information should be on a job seeker’s resume, and why?
Coach Darby: Before it became simple to find anyone using social media, it was important to list all personal information on a resume so the hiring manager could easily reach you for further screening, an interview, or a dreaded rejection letter. You should continue to include your name, email address, one contact number, relevant credentials (certifications, degrees, etc.), and social media links (LinkedIn profile, online portfolios, published articles, etc.), but it’s no longer necessary to include your home address on your resume. Keep in mind that social media has indeed made some things easier to uncover about candidates, yet it has also increased privacy and safety issues. Additionally, if you’re engaging in a job search, consider removing from your social media profiles and accounts things you wouldn’t normally discuss in public, such as references to politics and religion.
10. How long should resumes be, and why?
Coach Darby: Many factors have contributed to adult readers’ decreased attention spans, including the increased use of technology. As a job seeker, you have a short window of time not only to capture a reader’s attention, but also to convince them to digest an entire document. As a result, resumes should be no longer than one to two pages. Anything longer than that runs the risk of being ignored by a decision maker.
11. What are three common mistakes job seekers typically make when applying for jobs, and how can these mistakes be avoided?
Coach Darby: The first mistake typically is to assume everyone will understand abbreviated industry terms and company acronyms. Your resume may be reviewed by several individuals before it reaches the hiring manager, so ensure all resume content is clear no matter who might read the document. The second mistake is mixing tenses or forgetting to update tenses for specific roles or accomplishments. Unless you’re highlighting a current role, professional experience and accomplishments should be written in past tense. Even with the plethora of spell-checking tools available, the third most common resume mistake is including misspelled words. Write the resume as if you were composing a social media post where the content will forever exist — and remember to check, check, and check again before submitting it.
12. When do resume templates with excessive colors, graphics, and multiple columns start to work against job seekers, and why?
Coach Darby: As mentioned previously, applicant tracking systems don’t respond well to resume templates with complex formatting design. Also, certain types of organizations appreciate a simpler resume template, such as government agencies, nonprofit organizations, law firms, and academic institutions.
13. At what point do job seekers out of work become toxic in the eyes of recruiters, and how can they reduce their likelihood of becoming toxic over extended periods?
Coach Darby: Factors that can work against you as a job seeker include the appearance of remaining stagnant during an out-of-work period, having short tenures with multiple companies, or working at one company for 25+ years. It’s especially important to promote your continued growth during these periods by engaging in volunteer opportunities, pursuing professional development courses or industry-related bootcamps, obtaining additional certifications, or going back to school.
Connect with Coach Darby to suggest a topic or question not asked above, or a more thought-provoking variant of what is asked above. If used, you will be credited as a topic provider in the published version of the article any time your suggestion is used.