Getting recruiters to notice your resume is no easy task. Odds are, they are spending less than a minute — if even 30 seconds — reviewing it, a CareerBuilder survey shows.
If you are applying to jobs for the very first time or you are searching to move onto your next job, TopResume career expert Amanda Augustine tells CNBC Make It the most important things to include and leave out when tailoring your resume.
Always include their keywords with your key qualifications
Your best selling points combined with their relevant keywords will appeal the most to your potential employer, Augustine says.
"On one hand, your resume must showcase what you can offer: your skills, experience and other abilities that will provide value to the employer, particularly for the role you're pursuing," she says.
But you also have to keep your potential employer in mind.
"If your resume doesn't include the necessary keywords to get past the initial screens, an employer will never even get to see your stellar qualifications," Augustine says.
You also want to make sure you describe your qualifications in terms that will not only resonate with your employer, but with the "electronic gatekeeper" — the applicant tracking system or "ATS" — as well.
"Identify the terms that routinely pop up in the job requirements, and be sure to incorporate them into your resume as you're itemizing your qualifications," Augustine says.
Absolutely avoid an objective statement
Unless you're a seasoned job candidate with a lot of experience to offer, you should probably reconsider topping your resume with one of these.
"As an entry-level candidate, it's better to omit an objective statement altogether than include one peppered with fluffy buzzwords that focuses on what you want from the job," Augustine says.
Augustine recommends that you instead think about what you can offer a potential employer.
"Rather than focusing on your own wants and needs, explain how your skills match the requirements of your target position," she says.
In other words, demonstrate how you're qualified for the job you want.
"Leave off those meaningless statements about being a 'proactive self-starter' unless you have something meaningful to say," Augustine says.
Don't miss:
Thinx just got a new CEO. Here's what she wants to accomplish in her role
Why being company founders helped Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Reed Hastings succeed as CEOs
