6 Tricks To Increase Your Odds On Job Boards

Major job boards like CareerBuilder and Monster are one of the most popular ways for companies to develop a candidate pool when looking to fill an open position. With high unemployment and candidate competition increasing, how does a candidate stand out from the virtual pack when posting a resume on a major job board? Here are six tricks to increase your odds on job boards:

1. Your Resume Title

First impressions are important and the title of your resume will determine whether your resume gets a first look. Include action words in the title that best describe your experience and are different from the norm. An example would be “Certified AMX Audio Visual Professional.”

2. Include An Objective In Your Online Profile

An objective describes what career opportunity as well as industry you are interested in learning more about. Recruiters spend roughly 10 seconds or less per resume. Keep your objective simple, direct, and to the point. For example, “Seasoned and Certified Human Resource Director interested in opportunity within the non-profit industry.” Limit your objective to 1-2 sentences.

3. Resume Format

Include bullets, open space, dates, and quantitative numbers on your resume. Avoid spelling errors, unprofessional e-mail addresses, and a format that is not easily skimmed and no more than two pages.

4. Update Your Profile Weekly

Job boards list resumes by most recently updated and allow recruiters to use search by resumes updated daily, weekly, and monthly. Keep your resume at the top of the pack by updating it weekly. You can also take advantage of CareerBuilder’s advantage option which automatically provides you this service but at a fee.

5. Use Searchable Buzzwords And Keyword Terms

Recruiters use keyword search to find relevant resumes and candidates. Include terms relevant to the industry or job you are interested in. Include any specialized certifications and their abbreviations as well as other specific qualifications to increase your exposure.

6. Include Your Contact Information

Recruiters do not have the time or patience to contact a candidate that uses an anonymous resume on a job board. Increase your exposure odds by including your contact information, including e-mail and phone numbers. Monster has a feature, called Privacy Plus, that allows users to block up to 20 companies from viewing your resume.