A successful resume should clearly outline the candidate’s unique value proposition within the first six seconds of skimming, it should summarize 20, 25, or even 30 years of experience on one or two pages, and it should pack a visual punch—all while ranking well against applicant tracking systems (ATS). If your resume looks straight out of the 1990s, is more than three pages long, and includes tired language, outdated technologies, and/or too much content, a professional resume writer can help.

Job hunting is very different than it was just 10 years ago. Resumes are formatted differently, must be keyword-optimized, and may never even be printed out. Applicant tracking systems (ATS) have come to play a major role in the modern job search, helping companies sift through the thousands of resumes they receive. Understanding how job boards work, how to set up alerts to find out about job openings, how to use LinkedIn to network online, how to apply for jobs online, and the latest etiquette for following up are all things to brush up on before you start applying for new roles.

Even under ideal circumstances, writing your own resume can be an emotionally taxing and tedious task. Lack of time, competing priorities, and procrastination can sideline you. When you partner with a professional resume writer, she will ask probing questions, bring objectivity to help identify how you add value to an organization, and put it all together succinctly into a resume that is just one or two pages long. In addition, a professional resume writer has up-to-date knowledge of what hiring managers look for in a resume and how resumes need to be keyword-optimized to get past the applicant tracking systems (ATS) that most companies now use.

Every job market is different, and every person is different but, historically, an average job search takes between one and five months and executive job searches can take longer. In light of the health crisis of 2020, we can expect that the job search process, at least for most industries, may take somewhat longer than normal.

With the current health crisis, much is uncertain, but we expect that networking will be as important, if not more important, than ever. Professionals will need to stay connected virtually, so engagement on LinkedIn and other social media outlets may play a greater role in the job search. To gain a competitive edge in this job market, jobseekers should get very comfortable with virtual interviewing. Interviewing via video conference is nothing like interviewing in person, so we advise brushing up on how to use common video conferencing technologies, making sure the background and lighting are on point, and practice, practice, practice! For more virtual interviewing strategies, email us.