It may seem like a simple question, but have you ever asked yourself who actually reads your resume?
Another way to put this is, who is your audience? The audience always determines the format of the writing, whether it is a screenplay, movie, book, newspaper, or resume.
There are actually three audiences for your resume:
1) Scanner: Some people in key positions, like a recruiter, can visually scan a resume in a few seconds to get the gist of it.
Someone experienced (like me) can read a resume rapidly and pull the information needed about you as a job applicant. But for this to work, the formatting needs to be clear, with enough white space and tight writing, so it is easy to understand what is on the page. Formatting is key.
2) Reader: When you are “writing” a resume, this is the audience that you want to focus on – someone who can take the time to read the content.
Every word and every sentence must add value to the writing and convey why you are an excellent candidate for a job. Content is key.
3) Parser: The best resumes are written for human eyes, but they also have to be written with appropriate keywords and formatting to be recognized by the ATS (Applicant Tracking System).
This is the software that companies use to manage resumes submitted to their websites for job applications. “Parsing a resume” means the process by which technology extracts data. A professional resume writer will be trained in how to format the resume with keywords so that it is “read” correctly by the software. Keywords are key.
It takes experience and training for a professional resume writer to know how to write a resume for these three audiences simultaneously. If you have concerns that your own resume is not reaching the intended reader, schedule a free consultation today! Let’s talk about how we can restructure your resume for all three audiences!