How many times have you applied for a job only to be met with dead silence? How often have you frantically refreshed your email waiting for a reply that doesn’t come? The job search process can be a difficult and frustrating one.

When applying for a job, it’s important to have a professional, well-written resume that is sure to stand out to hiring managers. The way to capture the interest of your future employer is through a targeted resume. What is a targeted resume? It’s simple. Targeted resumes are tailored to the specific job you are applying for. They are written to highlight the skills, experiences, and achievements that are most relevant to that particular position.

If you submit your basic, standard resume to each and every job opening you apply for, chances are you won’t even hear back for an interview. Hiring managers are looking for very specific things in your resume and want to see how you’re the right fit for this job opening in particular. They need to see experience and skills that directly correlate to the ones needed for the specific role they are hiring for. If your resume isn’t tailored to the position you’re applying for, you aren’t giving yourself the best possible shot at landing the job.

In another blog, we explained the importance of hiring a professional resume writing company. When you partner with Capstone Resume Services on your resume, you’re getting a professional resume that is customized to your industry and tells the complete story of your work history, skills, and accomplishments. And while the resumes we write are tailored to you, they aren’t tailored to a specific position. So before you submit your resume, you’ll need to tweak it to ensure you’re giving the hiring manager what they are looking for.

What to Tweak In Your Resume

So, where do you start? With the job description, of course! Read it thoroughly several times and take notes on the key requirements and necessary credentials. Make note of what responsibilities and skills are mentioned first. Those are the ones you should focus on. Then, go through your resume and tweak your experiences and skills to speak to those requirements. 

Remove any skills that aren’t relevant for the position and only include those that are listed. Also be sure your skills list starts with those the recruiter will be most interested in and can quickly see on a first scan.

To stand out, it’s also important to research the company to get a feel for its brand and culture. Then, you can reverse engineer how you present yourself to align with the company’s mission and vision. Is the company very formal and professional or very casual and laid-back? Knowing this information can really help you to strategize how to most effectively present yourself in a resume and a cover letter. Don’t underestimate the power of research!

Highlight Your Employment History 

Many hiring managers look at your employment history to determine if you are qualified for the position. Be sure to edit and tweak your employment experience to clearly show you have the necessary qualifications. Don’t stretch or rework the truth, but be sure to describe your experiences in a way that highlights the tasks and achievements that most closely match with the job you’re applying for.

Make sure all relevant qualifications are at the top of your experience section so that they stand out. Identify the things in your resume a recruiter would be most interested in and make sure they are at the top of your resume. After all, the average recruiter only looks at a resume for 6 seconds. You need to make the most of that limited time! And, don’t worry if it’s not the most recent experience you’ve had. In order to effectively tailor your resume, you must identify what is the most important for this particular job and push that in the most effective way possible.

Also, don’t forget to showcase the impact you’ve had at every position. Add a bullet-point to each employment history section that highlights how you’ve helped your prior team and company thrive. The best way you can do so is by using numbers, percentage points, or tangible language that can quantify your efforts. Overall, employers understand that individuals can perform a certain job, but they wonder whether they can perform it well enough to affect the growth and success of the company. 

Use The Right Keywords & Check for Typos

You’ll also want to pay close attention to the keywords included in the job description. If these same keywords aren’t in your resume, chances are you won’t be flagged as a potential candidate by the applicant tracking system. Be sure to sprinkle them throughout your resume strategically so that they flow naturally.

The best way you can research the right keywords is to look through your top job descriptions and write down all the words that stand out. Do certain keywords repeat in all of the job descriptions? If so, definitely use them! You can also make a tag cloud to see which keywords describe your resume’s current essence, and use that information to better target and highlight other more powerful words. 

The last step? Proofread! You’ll want to read over your resume carefully to check for errors. The more changes you make, the more opportunities for typos arise. Hiring managers likely won’t continue reading if they spot a typo. Why? Because it usually signals lack of attention to detail and inability to be thorough with your work. It speaks volumes on how you would approach your work at the job and how much effort and care you place on your important projects. 

Another good way to check that your resume is effectively tailored to the position you’re applying for is to have a friend or family member read it over to see if they can clearly see why you’re applying for the job just from reading the resume.

Update Your Certifications, Training, and Tech Knowledge

To ensure you are up to date with your industry’s skills sets, don’t forget to mention if you’ve taken any relevant online courses, attended key conferences, or have undergone skills training. Since technology changes quickly, employers want to ensure that their new hires understand new technology and can adapt to tasks and processes quickly. 

If you feel your skills are a bit rusty and need to be updated, there are many courses and certifications you can finish even within a day in order to upgrade your resume for more leverage.

To see which technical skills are the most desired in your profession and specifically in your desired role, you can look through your favorite job postings and write down which technical skills are not only required but preferred. By showcasing that you have the bonus skills preferred for the position at hand, you will stand out amongst the competition!

Improve the Layout and Design of Your Resume

Design is the essence of branding, and as a candidate, how you present your professional experience is your brand. This is exactly why the design and layout of your resume can speak volumes about your personality, how you express yourself, and your eye for details and aesthetics. From the colors you choose to the way you present your skills visually, your resume design is vital in making that first impression and helping you stand out. 

Long gone are days when a resume looked like it was typed on a typewriter. With so many possibilities to design a unique resume with the availability of online templates and stylized options, adding personality to your resume has never been easier and more accessible without professional assistance. 

Imagine that tired recruiter that is scanning resumes the whole day, looking for relevancy and any information and features that stand out from the crowd. And then there is your resume – easy to scan, a feast for the eyes, and well-formatted for clarity. That’s exactly the effect you want to have on recruiters during your job search. 

Research the Company’s Problem and Offer a Solution

Undeniably, what most companies seek from candidates is someone who can ease their pain by providing the right solutions. Most hiring is done from a place of lack – the lack of growth, creativity, order, and effective solutions. That’s exactly where you come in. Your resume is not about you but about what you can do for your dream company. 

When you read a job description, try to identify the few main problems that this role is created to solve. Then, use your resume and cover letter to show how you can solve these specific problems. Showcase examples of past problem-solving, creativity, and ability to think outside of the box to find solutions. 

Also, don’t forget to highlight your soft skills. The cover letter is the perfect medium for this. It is a place where you can tell your story, present your uniqueness, and talk about how your problem-solving can be an asset to the company in more detail. Think of your application as a value proposition of what you can bring to the table professionally. 

Resume Tailoring Checklist

To narrow down all the tweaks that will upgrade your resume and get you multiple interviews, here is a checklist summary to follow:

• Read the job description and take notes
• Research the company
• Tweak your experiences and skills to match the job requirements
• Make sure the most relevant information is at the top of your resume
• Be sure you are using keywords found in the job description in your resume
• Proofread for typos, errors, and flow
• Ensure the layout is easy to read and designed for clarity and visual appeal
• Have someone read it over to ensure the value you would add to both the position and company is clear
• Showcase the value you brought to your past work experiences by presenting numbers, percentages, and concrete scenarios that signal growth 
• Take a week to upgrade your technical skills so that you can stand out from the crowd
• If you’re in the creative industry, ensure that your portfolio and social media channels are easy to find and access
• Is your resume tailored to the problem the company wants to solve? If it is geared toward your skills and not how you can apply those skills to add value, make sure you rephrase your resume messaging

Now that your resume is tailored to the job you’re applying for, you’ll want to add a tailored cover letter to accompany your resume. The skills and experience that best match the job requirements should be highlighted in your cover letter. This is your opportunity to tell the hiring manager why you’re the right fit for the job and why they should consider you for the next step.

If your job search has stalled and you haven’t had an interview in a while, it may be time to start tailoring your resume. Submitting a resume that is tailored to the job description and job you’re applying for will only help your chances of landing the dream job – or at least an interview. So, what are you waiting for? Start tailoring!

Sure a resume needs to be concise, include all relevant skills and experience, and paint a full picture of who you are as an employee. It goes without saying that it should be error free and organized, with a clean layout. But, if you want to ensure your resume is competitive and engaging in today’s job market, it must include two critical aspects: PAR statements and keyword optimization.

We’ve discussed the importance of keyword optimization and PAR statements in previous blogs, but a resume needs BOTH to be successful. Many job seekers are so focused on one aspect that they miss the other and don’t get traction in their job search.

1. PAR Statements 

PARs are Problem-Action-Result statements that explain the specific problems you faced in a past job, the actions taken to overcome and solve those problems, and the achievements that came as a result of the action you took. Think of your PARs as the stories of the challenges you faced on the job and the steps you took to overcome those challenges to benefit not only yourself, but your company as a whole.

PAR statements are crucial because they define your unique approach to the job and engage a hiring manager or recruiter. PARs help your future employer see how you would perform on the job and also how you would fit into the culture of the organization. Because they focus more on soft skills such as leadership and problem resolution, PARs are often overlooked. But, they help the hiring manager align you with the specific needs of their organization to see if and how you would be the right fit.

It’s easy to get so hung up on making sure you’re talking about your experience and achievements that you aren’t thinking about how a recruiter comes across your resume. That’s where keywords come in.

    2.   Keyword Optimization

According to Mashable, “72% of resumes are never seen by human eyes.” That is because many companies (90% of all Fortune 500 companies) use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to screen resumes that are submitted. Essentially, once you submit your resume, it is scanned and stored in a database. Recruiters then search the database to find resumes for a particular job opening by entering in relevant keywords. If your resume has those keywords, it will be picked up by the system. The more matching keywords your resume has, the more likely it is to be seen by the hiring manager.

Because most companies use some sort of ATS, keyword optimization is more important than ever. To ensure your resume passes through an ATS to get seen by a recruiter, follow these keyword optimization tips:

• Use the job posting and description to find keywords the ATS is looking for. Then be sure to sprinkle those words throughout your resume
• Make sure all information in your resume is relevant to the position you are currently applying for
• Keep things concise
• Be sure to list all of your relevant skills, as many hiring managers use an ATS to search for specific skills they are looking for
• Read over your resume carefully for spelling mistakes
• Include your contact information at the top of your resume (for the ATS to pick up)

Still not sure your resume is ATS ready? Check out our tips for preparing your resume for applicant tracking systems.

If you’re still struggling with PAR statements and keyword optimization and need some help getting your resume job search ready, contact Capstone Resume Services today!

The average hiring manager looks at a resume for a mere 6 seconds. At least that’s what studies have shown. That means you have 6 seconds to make an impression. 6 seconds to ensure they see everything they need to see to move you to the next round of the selection process. 

That’s where keywords and the tag cloud come in! Keywords are crucial because they make the resume easily scannable and highlight your main skills. They also are picked up by resume scanning software, also known as applicant tracking systems (ATS). 

The importance of optimizing your resume for resume scanning software cannot be understated, especially given the current remote job trend that takes applications from all over the country and the world. Here are just a few more reasons why:

• 99% of the Fortune 500, 70% of larger companies, and 20% of small businesses use ATS to filter resumes. (Recruitee)
• 75% of recruiters use a recruiting or Applicant Tracking System. (Recruitee)

• 75% of resumes are not seen by recruiters, as they are weeded out by the tracking system. (CNBC)

So, all of your main keywords should be easy to find with a very quick read of your resume. But how do you ensure you got the right keywords and that they are working for you? Tag clouding can help you discover which keywords summarize your resume and how to optimize the right keywords for better leverage.

What is a Tag Cloud?

A tag cloud shows words in the document by frequency, highlighting the most frequent words with bigger and bolder fonts. Words that are used less show up as lighter and in smaller fonts. TagCrowd is a free and simple online tool that allows you to create a tag cloud for your resume.

If you want to see what words are most often used in your resume and which ones stand out, simply go to TagCrowd and paste your resume into the text box (or upload it). You can then select the maximum number of words you want to show and the minimum frequency. 

It also lets you choose if you want to show the word count next to each word (how many times that word shows up) and if you’d like to group similar words together. You can also type in certain irrelevant words you don’t want it to analyze. Once you hit the “Visualize!” button, you will see your resume’s frequently used words. The word that is used most frequently will show up as the largest.

This will allow you to see what a recruiter will see when they look at your resume and show you what keywords the recruiter will associate with you. It will also help you identify what key information or words may be missing so that you can paint a complete picture of the type of employee you are and the value you’ll bring to a company.

Are Tag Clouds Useful for Resume Writing?

Tag clouding can also help you see what you need to change in your resume. It’s important to be concise in a resume, and too much repetition could have a negative effect. With tag clouding, you can see which words you overuse and where you could change things up.

For an example of how tag clouding can be applied to your own resume, we’ve included a sample tag cloud for an IT Project Manager resume below.

It’s not just about what recruiters see. It’s also about what search engines and resume scanning programs will pick up. For more information on keywords and how to use them, check out our blog on how to get your resume noticed with keyword optimization and our tips for preparing your resume for applicant tracking systems.

And here are a few more helpful tips in how to use ATS algorithms to your advantage:

1. Use acronyms alongside their long-tailed keywords, since the algorithm may be set to screen for them.
2. Try not to place important information in the headers or footers, since the software may not be able to scan that information properly.
3. MS Word docx and Pdf are the most compatible file format versions when it comes to applicant screening software.
4. Stay away from using blocks, tables, photos, graphics, and graphs, especially if you are embedding vital information within them; ATS may not be able to read any of this information.
5. Make sure your formatting and layout are easy to scan both for bots and for recruiters; if you include too many long blocks of text, it would be hard to understand the gist of your professional experience within 6 seconds.

How to Choose the Right Keywords for Your Resume

Now that you know about the importance of keywords and how to use tag clouds to identify your most frequent resume words, it is time to actively choose the keywords you’d like to associate your resume with the most. 

The following strategy can help you be proactive and customize a few versions of your resume which you should have on hand if you desire to apply to slightly different job roles that require additional or different skill-set.

• Research your top 5 ideal job listings and write down the most relevant keywords the hiring managers specify in the responsibilities and qualifications sections.
• Once you have a comprehensive list from your top job listings, look for the keywords you pooled together and note the keywords that were mentioned the most frequently among them all.
• Choose the 5-10 most highlighted keywords and include them in your resume so they flow and showcase your strengths; the most essential keyword should be part of your resume headline or should be mentioned more than once in your resume. 

And voila, your resume is now keyword optimized! To finalize your resume preparation, use tag clouds to check which keywords would most stand out to recruiters and applicant tracking systems. 

Ultimately, spending time to perfect and aesthetically beautify your resume may be in vain if your resume is not even seen by the people that have the power to get you the job. Therefore, having the right keywords on your resume should be one of the most important resume strategies in your job search repertoire. 

Now that you know which strong technical keywords to use to stand out, make sure that you also remove certain weak words that can dilute your value proposition. Read all about the top words that you should remove from your resume asap!

A Few More Resume and Cover Letter Tips

Having an optimized resume is just one important step in the job winning process! Once you are aware of the keywords that recruiters prioritize, also make sure that your cover letter matches the tone and keywords that you highlight in your resume. 

If recruiters like your resume, they will also read your cover letter to get a better idea of who you are and what you’re looking for in your next opportunity. This is also a great time to highlight the main keywords from the job description and showcase how you are skilled and qualified within their context. 

Whereas the resume is an overview of your skills, the cover letter should be an opportunity to humanize yourself and your professional journey, as well as to highlight why you are a cultural fit with the company team. Be professional but also let your authenticity and voice shine through. Don’t forget to use storytelling to your advantage to make your application truly memorable.

And if you’d like a free resume consultation to help you navigate the job search process with empowerment and confidence, Capstone was voted as one of the most personalized and caring resume service companies in the industry to help you win the job of your dreams. 

Contact us today!

If you’re applying for a government position, it’s important to know how to incorporate KSAs into your federal resume. For quicker results, it is of vital importance to have a federal resume that is specifically tailored to the job for which you’re applying. Federal resumes have their own specific requirements, and one of the most important parts of a federal resume is the KSA.

What is a KSA and How to Use it In Your Federal Resume?

KSAs are the attributes required to perform a job. KSA statements show how you applied your Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities to achieve results in your previous positions.

In the past, most government jobs had a list of KSA questions for applicants to answer to determine the candidate’s skill level and qualifications. KSA questions were answered in separate statements that addressed each question, resulting in a very lengthy resume.

Today, many federal jobs still require KSAs, but they aren’t as prevalent as they once were. Now, it’s considered optimal to incorporate KSA points into the federal resume itself, highlighting the skills desired for the job in the summary of achievements and overall work experience that showcase what the potential employer wants to see. This results in a federal/KSA hybrid resume.

At Capstone Resume Services, we offer both approaches, depending on what your future employer is looking for. We still write separate KSA responses for applications that include specific KSA questions, but we also incorporate KSAs into the federal resumes we create, utilizing the federal resume/KSA blend method.

Whether you need separate KSA statements or want to incorporate them into your resume, there are a few important things to consider when thinking about KSAs:

Include Job Description Keywords

If the position you are applying for doesn’t have separate KSA questions, you must read the job posting carefully to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities the organization is looking for. Look for specific keywords that stand out as you read the job post, and then be sure you include those keywords in your own resume, building your KSA statements around them. 

The most important keywords are found in the responsibilities section of the job description. Be vigilant about repeating keywords and ensure you seamlessly incorporate them in your resume naturally. This is an easy and effective way to tailor your resume to a specific position.

And, if you’re looking to apply to similar positions under the same role title, look at a few job descriptions that you really like, and see where there is a keyword overlap. If there are a few specific keywords that stand out in all the descriptions, make sure they are included in your standardized resume for greater success with applicant tracking software and recruiters’ first impressions.  

Keep It Concise

It’s important that your KSAs are short, clear, and concise, emphasizing your accomplishments and highlighting how you use your skillset to get results. If you have specific KSA questions to answer, be sure your response fully answers the question. Likewise, use examples to back up your skills and show how you have tangibly added value to every past position. 

Use Numbers to Present Your Value

When incorporating your KSAs into your federal resume, be sure to use numbers, percentages, or concrete examples of impact to back up your claims and show your value. Include specific dollar amounts, times, and quantities where you can. It’s important to be as specific as possible, as hiring managers want to be sure that you not only can perform certain tasks, but that you can perform them well. By quantifying your accomplishments and providing concrete examples, you’ll signal that you have the skills necessary to excel in the new position and be an asset to their organization.

Don’t be Afraid of Detail

To be rated as “Best Qualified” for the position and have your resume passed on to the selection team, it’s crucial that you provide as much information on your past experiences as possible. Use fewer but more powerful words. Likewise, concentrate on explaining the value created at every position and not on the tasks performed. Better yet, show how the tasks you’ve learned led to value creation, especially if you took leadership initiative. 

If you’re applying for a government position, detail is key. Employers want to know about your past experiences, so providing them with examples of past projects that highlight exactly what you did for a company and how you achieved it will help paint a full picture of the type of employee you are.

Whether you’re in need of traditional KSA statements or are looking to weave your KSAs into your resume, Capstone Resume Services can help! Our experienced professional resume writers have over 75 years of combined experience and know exactly what hiring managers are looking for. We start the resume writing process with a one-on-one personal consultation that allows us to learn about your experience, accomplishments, skills, and goals. From there we will create a professional federal resume that is sure to impress hiring managers and help you land that dream position.

Tips for Writing an Effective Federal Resume

To really stand out as a candidate in addition to your KSA statements, here are a few federal resume tips to consider for even greater leverage:

• Create Two Current Resumes. Given that your public sector resume probably includes details that you don’t usually share when applying for private-sector jobs, you might consider passing the private sector one around when networking, even in government-type environments.
• Be Concise. Even though federal agencies want detailed descriptions of your prior work, they are looking for more than job description language. Quality matters, so be creative about how you showcase your strengths. Develop statements that highlight measurable results from your time on the job. This provides a visual professional journey progression for the reader.
• Include Five References (if possible). The federal format will require a supervisor’s name, contact information, and the job title you’ve held for each of your positions. In terms of best federal resume practices, 5 references are generally desired. If you don’t have five government positions in your work history, you can add non-related references to the bottom of the resume.
• Keywords Matter. However, be tactical about how you use them. Do not simply put a ‘keywords’ section in your resume. Instead, showcase how you utilized the keywords in your experience with actions and results. By highlighting measurable outcomes of your professional experiences, you will let hiring managers know that your skills translated to concrete project outcomes.

Examples of KSA Statements 

If you’re still unsure about how to word and include KSAs within your resume, here are just a few examples that showcase KSAs in action. The best place to include your KSA statements is at the beginning of every role you list. Think of the one-liner as your value proposition – a marketing hook – that helps the reader contextualize the detailed description of your responsibilities that comes after the statement. 

Here are a few concrete examples of how to word your KSA statements:

KSA #1 Demonstrated the ability to manage an additional project within schedule constraints, and ensured it was successfully launched on time. 

KSA #2 While learning new leadership skills within the context of a foreign country, took on new employee training and supervision, which helped the team meet its annual goals. 

KSA #3 Found a way to simplify project management processes that saved the team $30,000 in annual expenses. 

Again, make sure that your KSA statements capture the readers’ curiosity and are impressive. Stay away from showcasing ordinary tasks and regular outcomes that are already assumed to have been performed in your position. You can always delve into more detail within the bullet points that follow. This is your opportunity to ‘wow’ the selection committee and entice them to keep reading. 

Tell Your Story 

When it comes to writing your federal resume and KSAs, always keep in mind that tangible results are the most impressive in the eyes of hiring managers. If you can quantify your impact, you can signal the value you will be able to bring to your new federal position.

And, if you aren’t able to quantify your impact, then tell a great story! Show how your abilities and soft skills improved the team morale, were lauded by your supervisors, and led to others succeeding. All of these are parameters that show what an asset and how irreplaceable you would be in your new position.

Doing it all on your own can be time-consuming and difficult. To take the first step on your government job search with Capstone Resume Services. We have all the skills and expertise in the federal niche to make your resume stand out from the competition and get you the job!