You just graduated from college, you don’t have a job lined up, and student loans are slowly peeking in from the future; what do you do? You just lost your job, you have a family to support, and bills to pay; what do you do?

As a recent college graduate that did not have a position lined up, I know how you both feel. The stress and anxiety of not knowing if I would ever find a decent job would keep me up at nights. I wasn’t sure how I should tailor my resume, what jobs I was qualified for, or how to go about landing my dream position.

Luckily for me, after a hectic month of job searching, I landed a position in the recruiting field. I never thought of becoming a recruiter, but I am sure glad I did. Being a recruiter gives you an inside look at the hiring world. As a recruiter, we look at hundreds of resumes looking for ones that stand out. Being a recruiter helps me realize what it takes to be hired and what companies look at when they are in the hiring market.

I am sure you are wondering, “How do I make my resume stand out?” Well here is an opportunity to look inside the recruiter’s mind and see what makes us select a resume and how to get hired.

1. Make your resume stand out by making it clear, concise, and organized.

  1. Have all your bullets aligned
  2. Only put relevant information on your resume
    1. Not every position you have needs to include 10 bullets under it
    2. Do not include unnecessary information on your resume (example: you played high school basketball, you were prom queen etc.
    3. If it does pertain to the job, not every position needs to include 10 bullet points

2. Tailor your resume to the position you are applying for

  1. If you are applying for an engineering position that requires specific instrumentation or qualifications, I would include those words on your resume
    1. As a recruiter we use search strings and Boolean logic to narrow down candidate pools.
    2. If you want to stick out, INCLUDE KEY WORDS!!!

3. Don’t think you have enough experience, apply anyways!

  1. It doesn’t hurt to apply for as many positions as possible. Your name will become familiar and if you have an impressive resume, they may interview you anyways!

4. Have someone proofread your resume and make sure you include a working number to be contacted at!

  1. So many times I’ve found a great candidate and their numbers aren’t in service.
  2. Also be sure to include a valid e-mail address

5. Keep your options open

  1. Maybe your dream job isn’t the right job.
  2. I was a marketing major and was only applying to marketing jobs and nothing was happening. One day I was with a group of friends, and they suggested for me to look into recruiting, that I would be a great candidate for a recruiting position. So that night I applied for a few positions on LinkedIn and next thing you know, I was made an offer!

6. Remember the four p’s – be patient, positive, passionate, and peppy!

  1. Be patient, things won’t happen overnight. Great things take time
  2. Be positive – don’t let things make you lose sight of your dreams
  3. Always have something you are passionate about and highlight that on your resume. Employers love people that have passions’
  4. Peppy – We look for people that are excited about the position and can communicate how their skills / experience align with the role. It is alright to let that enthusiasm shine through to your recruiter. It makes you more personable and at the end of the day we are in the business or hiring people.

Now that you have had a sneak peek into a recruiter’s mind, go get hired!