A resume provides insights into a job candidate’s education, professional experience, and industry expertise. At the same time, a resume may be telling you much more about a candidate.
Ultimately, a resume can help you assess all aspects of a candidate if you know how to read between the lines. To do so, there are four factors you need to consider as you review a candidate’s resume.
1. Format, Punctuation, and Grammar
A sloppy resume includes spelling errors, extra spaces, and other formatting, punctuation, and grammatical problems. These issues may seem minor, but they reflect how much time and energy a job candidate puts into the pursuit of his or her dream job.
When it comes to finding the right candidate to fill a role with your company, don’t settle for anything less than exceptional. Instead, choose a candidate who devotes the time and energy to create an error-free resume that is easy to read and highlights exactly what he or she is all about.
2. Soft Skills
Soft skills refer to personal attributes that a job candidate needs to thrive in a particular role. For example, a candidate applying for a customer service role likely requires strong communication skills so he or she can listen to client requests and respond appropriately. Or, a candidate interested in a management role should be well-versed in problem-solving and conflict resolution.
To assess a candidate’s soft skills on a resume, it often helps to look at how he or she presents awards and accomplishments. If a candidate defines these accolades in terms that describe his or her contributions to a team, this applicant is probably an empathetic individual who works well with others.
3. Drive
Challenges create headaches for everyone, every day. Yet how a job candidate responds to challenges that come his or her way says a lot about this individual’s ability to contribute to your company on a day-to-day basis.
Numbers speak volumes on a resume, particularly when it comes to evaluating a candidate’s drive. If a candidate has delivered positive results across different areas of a business, for instance, he or she may be able to do the same for your company.
4. Progress
A job candidate’s resume offers insights into his or her career growth. If you read a resume closely, you’ll probably see a natural progression as this individual moves toward his or her dream job.
No two job candidates are exactly alike, and how one applicant achieves his or her career goals varies from another’s career journey. However, if you see a candidate who has climbed the corporate ladder over time, this individual is probably committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed in the business world.
Find Top Talent for Your Business with Techneeds
At Techneeds, we help employers quickly recruit and hire the right job candidates, at the right time, every time. We are committed to honesty, reliability, and continuous improvement and go above and beyond the call of duty to discover top talent for businesses. To learn more, please call us today at 800-346-8810.