Profile / Skills
In order for your resume to get to a human recruiter, it must first get through the company's Applicant Tracking System. This system screens resumes before a human, and either filters you in for the recruiter to review or filters you out. It does this by comparing how may of the keywords on the job posting appear on your resume. Keywords related to the hard skills/specific job duties you are required to perform on the job, as well as some of the required soft skills.
For the Profiles/Skills section, incorporate as many keywords as possible from the job posting and showcase how you can perform these.
If you have experience in the field, in your first bullet point list the number of months or years' experience you have. Co-ops, Internships, Practicum, Volunteer experience all count. Just be sure to label them as such.
For certain industries you may be required to know specific software programs, databases, tools or applications. In this case you will want to create an additional section called "Technical Skills."
Other things to think about including in your bullet points are as follows:
Include five to eight bullets that summarize your core skills, accomplishments and industry competencies related to the job posting, to make your resume stand out for the employer.
- Why am I good fit for this job?
- What examples do I have of going beyond my job description?
- What training do I have that qualifies me for this job?
- Is there a specific result I can deliver in this job?
- What role did I play in helping previous employers, co-workers and/or customers achieve the results they were seeking?
- Identify and emphasize your key industry or course knowledge. Be selective - choose only those which highlight the qualifications of the job posting.
- Outline the type of experience you have – convince the employer that you have something transferable to contribute.
- Demonstrate any additional industry knowledge that provides you with a foundation to do the job. Remember that skills and knowledge are developed from academic assignments, projects, presentations as well as volunteer and extra-curricular and work experience.
- Highlight the transferable skills from your experiences, not just the duties or task you completed.
- List any relevant software you know.
- List any mandatory qualifications you have that the employer is asking for, ie valid CPR certificate.
