If you’re looking for a light industrial position, you might wonder if a resume is really necessary. Can’t you just go down to the company and fill out an application instead? Unfortunately, in today’s workplace, a resume is typically a basic requirement. Here are some reasons why.
Showing Your Skills and Experience
Much more than a basic job application, a resume is your chance to show off your most important skills and experience. An employer wants to know at a glance that you have what it takes to do the job, so make sure your resume is updated and focused on the skills that your chosen field requires.
Describing What You Bring to the Table
While skills and experience form the bones of your resume, they’re not enough on their own. Your resume should also use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate your value to an employer. For each position, use metrics to describe what you did. For example, you might say, “cut production time by 5%” or “increased sales by $25,000 over two months.”
Gets You Through the Filters
Employers are increasingly using software to scan, and screen resumes before a human ever lays eyes on them. For this reason, you’ll have to make sure your resume contains keywords that are relevant to the job. Take a close look at the job description, and tailor your resume to match. Never claim knowledge that you don’t have, and don’t just stuff the page full of keywords. Instead, focus on the skills and knowledge that you do have, and lightly sprinkle in keywords as they make sense.
May Land an Interview
Ultimately, the point of a resume (and its even more disliked sibling, the cover letter) is to convince a hiring manager to grant you a job interview. While there are no guarantees, your best shot at landing an interview is to submit a well-written and tightly edited resume, with a cover letter if requested. Take the time to customize it for each submission, and you will be one step closer to the job of your dreams.
If you’re ready to take the first steps into your future, contact Pro Resources today.