The industrial job market is facing nearly unprecedented worker shortages, but that doesn’t mean you can simply send out a generic resume and expect to get hired. To land your dream role, you will still need to stand out from the crowd. Here are a few ways to take your resume to the next level.
Do Your Research
The days of creating a single resume and distributing it to every potential employer are long gone. Most organizations today use automated resume screening software to reject candidates before a human ever starts reviewing. To get through the filters, you’ll need to know a bit about the company and exactly what they’re looking for. You will also need to study the job description and tailor your wording to what’s written. Automated software looks for exact keyword matches, so be careful about abbreviations or acronyms that aren’t in the job description.
Focus on Your Achievements
Hiring managers don’t just want a list of what you did all day at your previous jobs. They want to know what you accomplished. How did you solve problems, demonstrate leadership, or achieve specific business goals? Use numbers or percentages whenever possible.
Highlight Your Skills
Create a separate Skills section on your resume. List 5-10 skills that are specifically relevant to the job for which you are applying. Briefly describe your specific area of expertise or talk about your level of proficiency. Keep it short and meaningful.
Get Some Help from AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) can be a great resume-writing assistant. Feed it the important facts about your background and experience, and see what it comes up with. But don’t rely on AI to do the work for you. Carefully review each AI-written section to figure out how you can improve it. Rewrite anything that isn’t entirely factual, contains grammatical errors, or uses awkward phrasing. AI can provide you with a rough draft and a place to start, but it cannot deliver a polished, professional resume on its own.
Need Some New Employees?
Workbox Staffing partners with light industrial companies to provide temporary, temp-to-hire, or permanent employees in more than 30 locations across the Midwest, Midatlantic, and Southeast. If you’re ready to grow your workforce, get in touch with us today!
