killbilly
Vocals, Lyrics, Triangle, Washboard, Kittens
Use this as you see fit - I realize it may not apply to everyone. Note that this applies to a non-aviation industry, but may have some applicability.
A very talented friend of mine - a guy I would hire in a second if I could - has been looking for a new job due to changing circumstances at his current employer. He's been having a hard time getting through some of the resume' gateways, presumably due to keyword matching issues in his resume'. At least, that's what he thought, so I told him I'd try to help.
I called our corporate recruiter and had a chat with him about that and had him look at my friend's resume' as well. The recruiter pointed a couple of things out:
1) Most recruiters and resume systems do not rely on a straight keyword match for acceptance/rejection. It happens some at the level of companies who get applications/resumes by the thousands, but there is rarely rejection based on a lack of (or inclusion of) certain words and phrases in the resume'.
2) What does happen is that the software they use looks at the repeated inclusion of certain phrasing in the same document, and that inclusion frequency can increase the rank of the resume in their stack, which makes you more likely to be eyeballed sooner. Example: If they are looking for "multiple years of network security experience" then at least a chunk of that phrase needs to exist in your application/resume more than once to rank higher in the system. (note, this does not apply to every company, or all jobs, but it's something our recruiter pointed out as a trend. I would encourage you to do some homework on this.)
3) In reviewing my friend's resume, the recruiter pointed something interesting out: it did not define a career arc for the desired position. My friend has done many things - niche disciplines, if you will - within the overall IT industry. However, there wasn't a common thread in how he laid it out in the resume' indicating his career trajectory toward the kind of role he was applying for. It was inconsistent. The recruiter recommended targeting the positions and descriptions along an arc which applied to/resembled the desired position. While diverse experience shows a well-rounded candidate, that doesn't necessarily translate as a GOOD thing in the initial vetting process.
4) Finally, my friend has some military experience, which is desirable these days. But his description (commanded a tank platoon in the Army) was vague relative to the job he wanted. Again - that career trajectory thing! If you can align portions of your military experience with the job you're looking for - especially on Federal jobs you apply for (preferential hiring) - you have a better ranking with your application/resume'.
It's somewhat like being a chameleon - the folks doing the hiring want to find someone to hire - you have to give them reasons to make that phone call/send that email to bring you in. Defining an arc toward the position shows that you're more a likely fit.
I realize not all of this can adapt to an aviation resume' (at least, for a 121 airline, but maybe) but it can help in general.
Anyway. I've done hiring before and found this enlightening and figured I would pass this along.
A very talented friend of mine - a guy I would hire in a second if I could - has been looking for a new job due to changing circumstances at his current employer. He's been having a hard time getting through some of the resume' gateways, presumably due to keyword matching issues in his resume'. At least, that's what he thought, so I told him I'd try to help.
I called our corporate recruiter and had a chat with him about that and had him look at my friend's resume' as well. The recruiter pointed a couple of things out:
1) Most recruiters and resume systems do not rely on a straight keyword match for acceptance/rejection. It happens some at the level of companies who get applications/resumes by the thousands, but there is rarely rejection based on a lack of (or inclusion of) certain words and phrases in the resume'.
2) What does happen is that the software they use looks at the repeated inclusion of certain phrasing in the same document, and that inclusion frequency can increase the rank of the resume in their stack, which makes you more likely to be eyeballed sooner. Example: If they are looking for "multiple years of network security experience" then at least a chunk of that phrase needs to exist in your application/resume more than once to rank higher in the system. (note, this does not apply to every company, or all jobs, but it's something our recruiter pointed out as a trend. I would encourage you to do some homework on this.)
3) In reviewing my friend's resume, the recruiter pointed something interesting out: it did not define a career arc for the desired position. My friend has done many things - niche disciplines, if you will - within the overall IT industry. However, there wasn't a common thread in how he laid it out in the resume' indicating his career trajectory toward the kind of role he was applying for. It was inconsistent. The recruiter recommended targeting the positions and descriptions along an arc which applied to/resembled the desired position. While diverse experience shows a well-rounded candidate, that doesn't necessarily translate as a GOOD thing in the initial vetting process.
4) Finally, my friend has some military experience, which is desirable these days. But his description (commanded a tank platoon in the Army) was vague relative to the job he wanted. Again - that career trajectory thing! If you can align portions of your military experience with the job you're looking for - especially on Federal jobs you apply for (preferential hiring) - you have a better ranking with your application/resume'.
It's somewhat like being a chameleon - the folks doing the hiring want to find someone to hire - you have to give them reasons to make that phone call/send that email to bring you in. Defining an arc toward the position shows that you're more a likely fit.
I realize not all of this can adapt to an aviation resume' (at least, for a 121 airline, but maybe) but it can help in general.
Anyway. I've done hiring before and found this enlightening and figured I would pass this along.
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