LaunchPad - INW

Spokane Regional Networking, Social Media, Professional and Business Development

Polish that Resume, See where you stand instantly with RezScore

As the Job Seeker Luncheon approaches this Friday and us job seekers, freelancers, and others gather to talk about the local job market and how we can gain an employment edge, we must not forget that our resumes are still an important piece of the hiring puzzle that should not be overlooked.

We've all heard that 80-90 percent of the jobs out there are in the "hidden" job market of networking and relationships, one of the reasons our Launchpad community is so great for Job Seekers and Employers alike. But just because you may have "an in" through a personal connection, does not absolve you from having a properly polished resume that has stand-alone-value. While an inside recommendation is great, more often than not, you'll still need to jump the customary hurdles of the application process for a company.

One of the more useful tools I've found out there is RezScore, which allows you to upload your resume for free, instantly get critiqued, and get advice on what you can improve. While the process is a bit of a "black box" mystery, From following their advice on things such as length, sentence structure, and refocusing highlighted strengths, I was personally able to change my RezScore from a 52nd Percentile, to 90th percentile. The real factor for me is that when I read my resume, I can tell it's better after making their recommended improvements.

While I take RezScore's ranking with a grain of salt, consider this: Many companies now use software to prescreen resumes for certain keywords, structure, experience, etc. and reject your resume based on these metrics. I've personally applied to jobs which I either felt I was perfect for or even overqualified, only to have an automated rejection sent to me an hour later. What Gives?

Well no matter how qualified you may be, if you don't communicate it properly through your resume, you may never make it to the interview process, or perhaps even get your resume in front of a human being! While it may seem unfair to some, letting a program like RezScore or a local professional help you optimize your resume for these automated services is critical in this day and age.

Good Luck!

Tags: Formatting, Freelance, Hiring, Jobs, Resume

3 members like this

Comment by Samantha Bammes on December 28, 2011 at 12:52pm: Nobody likes sitting in the 'black hole' of submitted resumes. The concept of RezScore is interesting. Although, any candidate can make their own resume more applicable to a particular position. Make sure that the key skills/words that are on the job description are within your resume. That will help your chances of getting through the ATS (applicant tracking system) of any company. In addition, I recommend using staffing agencies that focus on the type of work you do. Those recruiters are able to put your resume directly in the hands of the hiring manager, bypassing the ATS. They can also be an advocate and voice for you to the company of interest! As a recruiter in the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area, I am eager to put local viable candidates in the hands of local companies!

Comment by Kerri McIntosh on December 28, 2011 at 2:33pm: Was pleased to see that my resume put me in the 95th percentile on the first run. Always working on a better version and just did an upgrade on it today, in fact. So glad to see the revision was a good one!

Comment by Ryan Arnold on December 28, 2011 at 4:25pm: Thanks Samantha for sharing your thoughts, and I absolutely agree, a customized resume to a specific position is absolutely critical, ATS or not. Though I post a more generalized interactive resume online that tries to capture my personal brand, I still always spend a great deal of time specializing a submitted resume to the qualifications/skills of the position, and removing the clutter of the other skills I have that are less applicable.

Staffing agencies are a great choice to have as one of your options in your job search. Any advocate for you and your skills when your looking for a job is a big plus, especially professionals who have great connections and make those connections as a profession. For many, a staffing agency is also a bit foreign- I've talked to many who feel uncomfortable with the "firewall" that is created between potential employers and employees who prefer more control over their destiny. I for one believe both constantly being an advocate for yourself AND allowing professionals to assist you brings you the best opportunity. Diversification in your job hunt- Job boards, staffing agencies, social media, face-to-face networking, and tools like RezScore I think all play a part in your consistency, quality, and amplification.

@kerri- Glad to hear you're resume makes good grades! You may be interested that there is a small group of us on LPINW that has agreed to proofread others work, whether that's resumes, articles, etc. if your ever interested in a personal opinion as well. The last person who will ever catch your own typo is yourself :) We've all got an interest in seeing us happy, employed, and doing our life work!

Comment by Kerri McIntosh on December 28, 2011 at 7:14pm: @Ryan - Actually, I offered my services in the group, as a former English major. Check the thread. :) Thanks for the link to RezScore; it was a fun experience!

Comment by Ryan Arnold on December 28, 2011 at 7:33pm: Ha, sorry Kerri. I got lazy and didn't go back and look for the thread. Figured I had a 4/5000 shot. Glad your a part!