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It seems like writing a human resources resume should be second nature, but being an HR professional doesn’t make you magic or give you super powers. You’re as vulnerable as any other candidate once you submit your resume for a job. But what if you’re missing something very important, could it mean the difference between getting a call and never hearing back again? If you’re missing these details, you may not get a job offer. Here are some things to consider when crafting your resume.

The 6-Second Skim

You know this intellectually. Certainly, throughout your time as a human resources professional you’ve done this as well. Upon first glance, a resume has about six seconds to impress the reader. That’s not a lot of time, so making use of your most important real estate is paramount. So what can you do to maximize your resume and the six seconds it will take to skim it?

Appropriate Keywords

Did you spend some time ensuring the keywords contained in your resume match the company’s job description? You know that applicant tracking software is used to organize resumes and without the right keywords, yours may never be discovered. Even when human eyes review a resume, they’re skimming to make sure there are the right keyword matches before reading the whole thing.

Readable Format

In order to communicate the keywords to the reader, you need to have the resume presented in an easy to use format. There are plenty of options for resume formats, so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but make sure that you’re using pointed bullets with action words that draw the eye to your experience.

Something New

Of course, a plain resume won’t get you very far for very long. Once you’ve mastered the keywords and the format, you need to add something that your competition does not. What makes your unique? What makes you stand out from the crowd? What do you bring to the table that no one else can offer? Make sure you’re showcasing your accomplishments in a way that answer a problem the hiring manager may have.

Are you looking for your next human resources position? Harvard Resource Solutions is now hiring for HR jobs in Troy MI, so contact us today.