Strategically written résumés are crafted to market a job seeker’s skills in the most eye-catching and efficient way possible. A strategic résumé differs from a non-strategically written résumé in its content, phrasing, structure, approach, and format.
An ATS-optimized résumé is not only ATS-friendly, i.e., able to pass the scan done by an Applicant Tracking System and not lose any content or value in the process, but it is also loaded with the required job-specific keywords that are thoughtfully placed all over the résumé to rank it higher in the system following the ATS screening when compared to the other résumés processed by the same ATS.
Finally, a stunning résumé that has been created and polished by a skilled professional, will do great to impress the hiring manager with its innovative, eye-catching, and stylish presentation, and will immediately place you ahead of your competitors by helping you stand out from the crowd.
Are you sure that your current résumé is doing all the above?
Why should you have your résumé written by a qualified, professional résumé writer?
Your résumé is a testament to your work history, your skills, and your qualifications – so, it is not completely outlandish to assume that there is no one else more qualified to write your résumé than yourself! However, that is not only wrong, but that could not have been farther from the truth.
Why you may ask…
First of all, knowing your own work history better than anyone else does not automatically translate to the ability to pen it down in a manner that will be effective in grabbing the attention of seasoned recruiters. Writing a strategic résumé takes training, practice, and a specific set of skills, that include: a) knowledge of proper keyword placement on the résumé that is not only industry-specific but also, specific and customizable to the job you are applying to and b) résumé-specific language which not only represents your work in a factually accurate manner but also showcases and highlight your value through its linguistic marketing ability.
Secondly, creating a stunning résumé that will instantly grab the attention of a hiring manager with its visual appeal, while skillfully including all your necessary work history and other qualifications within a very limited space of 1 or 2 pages, takes an advanced level of writing, formatting, and designing skills that most job applicants do not possess.
Thirdly, over the course of one’s career, one usually gains a vast number of industry-specific skills as well as numerous transferable skills. It is quite tempting to put all of that on your résumé with the hope of making it look irresistible. However, a professional résumé writer will know exactly which skills to add to your master résumé’s skills repository, which ones to put on your résumé based on the job description of the position you are applying to, which ones to omit altogether and determine how to represent all of that in the most flattering manner that will work on your favour. Similarly, you might have had tons of accomplishments in a variety of jobs in your career – but having an understanding that helps you prioritize selected accomplishments or achievements on your résumé over another, needs a particular set of skills and years of experience in résumé writing, screening, and knowledge that a certified professional résumé writer can only possess.
Finally, in our experience, very few job applicants possess an in-depth understanding of modern Applicant Tracking Systems (i.e., ATSs – software applications that are commonly used by organizations to scan and screen out hundreds and thousands of submitted résumés that they receive in response to each job posting). A trained, professional and tons of accomplishments in a variety of jobs writer will have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the ATSs and will apply that knowledge while crafting your résumé so that your résumé does not get screened out by an ATS by losing its formatting, value, content, and most commonly, your contact information, before even getting the chance to be reviewed manually by a recruiter.