Do you have gaps in your employment? One of the specific things that recruiters look at is whether or not you have large empty spaces of time between jobs. If you do, this may be a red flag. Of course, if you have gaps in your resume, you should never lie and eliminate them. Simply know that this may be something brought up in an interview. Have an answer ready for them as to why you were unemployed for any length of time. Be honest. Reassure them that you are serious about the job and do not plan on quitting it any time soon.
Were you in one position for many years, with no show of advancement or added responsibilities? If you have been at a job for a great length of time and your resume does not reflect advancement, this may be a red flag for a recruiter. Again, do not lie, but be prepared to answer any questions about this in a job interview. If you did advance, but there is no change in job title, reflect the added responsibilities in your descriptions about job tasks. Highlight any promotions or advancements in responsibilities or tasks.
Do you have the right skills for the job? Make sure that the skills that the recruiter is looking for and the ones that you have are reflected in your resume. Concrete tasks and quantifiable results are important to add when possible. Read the job ad and make sure that key terms and tasks that they identify and you possess are in that resume. Generic resumes are not well-liked. You want to tailor your resume to the job posting as much as possible.
When looking at your resume, recruiters are looking for gaps in employment, proof of advancement, and skills necessary to perform the job. Knowing this, you can easily tailor your resume to reflect what the recruiter is looking for. Do not lie on the resume, but be able to defend any gaps or lack of advancement in the interview. Do not put down the reasons for the gaps or lack of advancement in the resume itself, as generally, this personal information can further highlight any negative perceptions. In other words, the resume is not the place to defend yourself. It is critical that you know the job that you are applying for and that you know the company and what is expected of you in terms of the job role and you reflect this in your resume.
