Writing resumes and coaching job seekers is a refined skill. It takes a lot of thought, time, and awareness of what employers are looking for in order to craft a resume that stands out among the others. With today’s competitive job market, it is important to know what key strengths are needed to produce the best resume and land your dream job. When looking for a professional resume writer or job coach, you should consider their skill level in each of these categories:
Keyword Use in Job Searches
Before crafting a well-equipped resume and cover letter, your resume writer or job coach will need to help you choose the right keywords to use in your job search. You might already have an idea of the type of job, company, and industry you would like to target, but you’ll need to make sure that you are using online job boards to your advantage by being mindful of the keywords you utilize in search engines.
If you have just graduated college and you are looking for an entry-level role in the STEM field, you might want to use keywords that align with entry-level roles, such as “junior” or “trainee” in the job title (For example: junior account manager or supervisor trainee). If you have been working in a specialized field, such as nursing, you might want to use keywords that align with the specialty, such as “pediatric nursing” or “occupational health RN.”
Feel free to get creative. It might also be helpful to go to the careers page of the top employers in your industry and learn what keywords they are using in their job titles and online job postings.
Ability to Tailor Your Resume
A good resume writer or job coach will also know how to tailor a resume to a specific occupation or industry that you are targeting. Many job seekers have a resume that lists their skills, education, and work history, but that oftentimes isn’t enough to get noticed. Human Resource professionals and managers not only want to get an idea of your background on a resume, but also understand the impact that you had while at work and get an idea of how that impact relates to the job you are applying to within their organization. It’s important to understand what qualifications they are looking for and what kind of value you can offer to them.
Willingness to Research to Fit Your Career Goals
When updating your resume and cover letter, three key things need to be researched: The qualifications needed for your targeted job, the organization you are applying to, and the industry. Once you read through the job posting of the position you would like to apply for, you can identify what the job requirements are for that role and ensure your resume lists all of the skills needed.
Next, you will want to research the organization. Is the organization a new company that has been experiencing rapid growth? If so, they might need to hire someone who can work at a fast pace. Have they recently merged with another company? If that’s the case, they will likely need to work with someone who has strong change management skills. It is important to have a good idea of the challenges they are facing and to showcase your ability to navigate those challenges within the organization.
Lastly, if you are targeting a specific industry, you’ll want to research the current trends, challenges, and values of that industry. For example, in the healthcare industry, you might want to learn about how the trend of rising healthcare demand in the market has impacted hospital resources and workflow. You might also want to understand what common challenges are being discussed (such as the nursing shortage post-COVID). It would be a good idea to gain a strong understanding of the values rooted in the targeted industry. In looking at another example, organizations in the
healthcare industry look for compassion and empathy in their workers as they continue to build a brand centered on patient care.
Understands Resume Trends
It is important to also note that the best resume writers and job coaches understand the latest resume trends. In the past, resumes used to include objectives, however, professional summaries equipped with keywords are now the standard. LinkedIn profile URLs have now been added to resume headers, and catchy taglines are used to set the tone for the resume. Utilizing a modern template is also something a good resume writer should be mindful of, because plain templates are often overlooked, and colorful templates with too many pictures or graphics can be too distracting. You also want to make sure that your resume is ATS-friendly by ensuring it has an aesthetically pleasing outline that isn’t too cluttered and has an easy-to-skim font.
Tailoring a LinkedIn Profile
Now that you have your custom resume and cover letter, you’ll want to make sure your LinkedIn profile is tailored to the jobs you are seeking as well. Employers will research you online and it is important to have a strong, professional presence. You’ll need to have your personal brand stand out by aligning your experience and education with the information presented on your resume. You’ll also want your headline to match the job titles you are seeking, and you’ll need to write a creative “About” section. Lastly, be sure to research and list 50 skills that align with the soft skills and technical skills needed in your targeted jobs and industry.
Preparing for your job search can be a lot of work, but it is worth it in the end if you are able to land interviews at the best employers and reach your full potential. If you would like more
guidance in getting started in your job search, please feel free to book a free consultation with one of our job coaches or professional resume writers. We would be more than happy to
provide our expert advice at your convenience. Contact us today by phone at (502)819-5881 or by email at shultzcareerconsulting@gmail.com.
