DCS Resume Success
- Jaclyn Gardner, Strategic Technical Recruiter
Write with the Reader in Mind
As a DCS recruiter, my success depends on being able to quickly and accurately match candidates with clients’ job openings. This process starts with sourcing, screening and sorting resumes into lists of first-tier and second-tier candidates. Although I have refined the process over the last 15 years, undoubtedly potential candidates get overlooked due to poorly written or formatted resumes.
Below are a few helpful hints for being included with the first-tier candidates.
- Your Resume’s First Impression – Your resume is the first opportunity you’ll have to introduce yourself. Be sure your resume is written and formatted in a manner that reflects yourself as a business professional.
- Help Us Find You – With the advent of Monster and CareerBuilder, finding a candidate is often as important as screening a candidate. Utilize technical terminology such as hardware, tools, and languages to ensure your resume is easily queried from resume job boards.
- Paint a Picture – Once I find your resume, I quickly scan it to determine your responsibilities in relation to the technical terminology. Utilize descriptive action words such as “developed,” “implemented,” “mentored,” or “converted” to describe your previous responsibilities.
- Help Us Contact You – Great job opportunities at DCS can open and close quickly. It is important to provide numerous options for contacting you, especially during the daytime: this can make the difference between a great new job and a missed opportunity.
- Remember the Credentials – Be sure to list formal training, certifications, credentials, and education.
Many people feel overwhelmed at the idea of writing their resume. How can you possibly describe your entire career in a page or two? But that’s thinking about the resume in the wrong way.
Remember this: Resumes are marketing documents. They aren’t your life/work history. They aren’t required to show your failures and weaknesses. Their purpose is to quickly tell a recruiter/hiring manager that you have the qualifications to do the work.
