Shreveport, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – As technology advances, the process of applying for a job has evolved with it.
You may be wondering what that means for your resume-building process. Well after sitting with Debbie Bury, Director of Career Development for Centenary College of Louisiana, and Jennie Flynn-McKevitt, Director of Career Services at Louisiana State University in Shreveport.
What has changed?
The changes are not so much the resume it self and more geared toward the submission process. “Everything is submitted electronically, and the candidate could very well be competing against other candidates worldwide depending on the position,” said Debbie Bury, director of career development for Centenary College of Louisiana.
According to McKevitt, this is also known as Application Tracking Systems (ATS), usually used during recruiting. Many companies are known to utilize this to analyze and rank resumes. This ranking system analyzes keywords,
“Closely examine the job description for which you are applying and review them for keywords.”
When it comes to ATS, McKevitt also suggests this…
- Avoid using the footer and header on your resume
- Don’t use text boxes, templates, or columns
- Avoid using images
What makes your resume stand out?
Both Bury and McKevitt agree that it won’t work in your favor if you’re trying to showcase your personality through your resume. They believe that can be saved for your cover letter.
Bury explains that your resume focus on your skills, accomplishments, and values.
McKevitt said, “Your primary concern when writing a resume is to showcase evidence about your skills and accomplishments.”
Bury recommends reading the job description and tailoring your resume to the job description, but she says that does not mean you should lie on your resume.
Adding your LinkedIn URL can help with networking.
Some things Bury believes are little outdated…
- Street address
- References available upon requests
How to showcase your personality in your cover letter?
Using three to five paragraphs, provide a sales pitch explaining through examples how you can tackle the job you’re seeking with the skills you believe you’re best at.
Bury’s top recommendation is to avoid reusing your resume content in your cover letter.
McKevitt explains it as an appetizer to what the employer can read on your resume.
What is trending?
With the growth in GPT, McKevitt says she has come across more people using this to build their cover letters. While she believes it’s a good start, McKevitt explains why using that as your final draft is not best. As the system may miss information, only you can add and go into detail.
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