We’ve all talked about the ‘Online Resume Black Hole.’ Here are some insights into the process.

First of all, here are some numbers to understand when submitting an online resume.

Did you know that each job opening will have 300-400 applicant resumes? Some companies sort the resumes for keywords. Some still use people to sort, too. Typically, an HR person will screen a resume for only 20 seconds. Imagine, with 20 jobs to recruit for, the time spent by HR to screen resumes is enormous. After the screening, resumes will go into the ‘Go’ or ‘No Go’ pile. It is critical to make your resume stand out.

The number going into the ‘Go’ pile will proceed to ‘process forward’. For the ‘No Go’ pile, this is likely the end of the road. Often, you will not hear another word from the company – you are now in the ‘Resume Black Hole’.

Here are 4 tips to keep your resume from landing in the ‘No Go’ pile.

1. Only apply to jobs where you actually have 80-85% or more of the requirements. Applying to every job out there only increases your chances of landing in the ‘No Go’ pile.

2. Always customize each resume to include and match back to every possible keyword that is mentioned in the job description.

3. Develop a headline that uniquely defines your area of expertise. It is up to you, to highlight yourself. Don’t leave it to the HR professional to try to figure out what you can really do. That’s your job.

4. Make your resume dynamic. Focus on results, direct contributions, and promotions – not only your responsibilities and tasks. State what those responsibilities and tasks actually accomplished.

Take control of your resume and the online submission process. It will take time to make your resume work for you for every job. You need to make your resume differentiated.29 Jul 2014 by Joanne T. Flynn