MILWAUKEE — When applying for a job, how can you make sure a recruiter or employer doesn’t toss your resume in the trash?
TODAY’S TMJ4 interviewed Valerie Grube, manager of recruiting and retention services at MRA, one of the largest employer associations in the nation located in Waukesha.
Here are Grube’s responses to our resume questions:
Do keywords really matter in a resume?
“Yes. So, it’s important that your resume has keywords that match up with the job ad that you're applying to because it makes it much easier for the recruiter to match your job-related skills with the job they are trying to fill,” Grube said.
“There are also systems that do that as well that search for specific keywords that the recruiter will put into the system. But it’s mostly a recruiter doing a quick glance for keywords they know they need for that job."
What would be considered a resume failure?
Grube said spelling and grammar mistakes are a no, but also a distracting layout.
“Some people put different graphics and designs and swirls and things on their resume, and it makes it really hard for the recruiter to get right to the meat of the resume and what they want to see, which is your job-related skills,” she said.
Grube says another mistake is not having a professional email address.
“Making sure you have the right or appropriate email address. You don’t want to have something crazy; you want to have something that's very simple,” she said.
How long should your cover letter be?
“Usually one to two paragraphs is enough. You don’t want to get too long because they’re not going to read the whole thing then, but you want to make sure that you give yourself that advantage if you can."
Should I use social media to reach out to current employees at the place I want to work?
“I would recommend LinkedIn over other social media because you want a professional connection and you want them to see you through a professional lens,” Grube said.
