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You’ve been sending out resume after resume and aren’t landing many interviews. You know you have experience that should make you marketable, so where’s the problem? It may be time to take a hard look at your resume, LinkedIn profile and overall job search strategy.
1) Your Resume Doesn’t Have an Accomplishments Section
Employers are interested in specific accomplishments. Make sure each role has an accomplishments section connected to it, or that you quantify your successes with numbers.
Read “The Best Finance Resume We Ever Received” for tips on creating a resume that will help you land you the interview you want.
2) Your Resume Has a Gap (and you didn’t stay marketable)
Resume gaps happen for a variety of reasons including travel, maternity leave or taking care of an elderly parent. A gap in your resume does not have to be a death knell for your job search prospects. In fact, we wrote a blog on this very topic.
3) There’s an Error on Your Resume
Spell check, while helpful, is not perfect. Read your resume carefully. Better yet, have someone else, a friend or former colleague for example, read it. This is because you’ll often read what you expect to see, whereas someone without the same level of familiarity with your resume will more easily be able to spot errors.
4) Not Customizing Your Resume (and applying to every role you see)
Research the company in advance before you apply. Customize each resume to match the job requirements and expectations of the role. This is particularly important if the organization is employing keyword matching software to sort resumes.
Pro Tip: Don’t apply to every role you see, especially if you’re on a recruiting website. This creates the impression that you do not know exactly what you want, or where your expertise would best fit.
5) Your LinkedIn Profile
Does your LinkedIn profile market you effectively? Does your resume match what’s on your LinkedIn profile? Have you landed recommendations for each role you’ve had?
Read “3 Reasons Finance Recruiters Are Passing Over Your LinkedIn Profile” for more insight into why your LinkedIn profile could be sabotaging your job search process.
Other great LinkedIn resources include:
- Top LinkedIn Blunders
- Tips From Toronto Recruiters – How to Write a LinkedIn Summary
- The Best LinkedIn Tips for Active Finance and Accounting Job Seekers
6) Is Your Online Presence Hurting You?
Your employer will definitely google you. Make sure that you clean up your Facebook page and set the privacy settings accordingly. Ensure that all social media accounts are vetted and reflect your professional brand.
Read: For tools that will help you get your social media accounts squeaky clean, read this blog.
7) You Missed a Step in the Application Process
Carefully review the application process to ensure that you did not miss a step. After all, attention to detail is critical in the accounting and finance landscape.
Key Takeaways
There could be a number of reasons why you’re struggling to land an accounting interview. Carefully review your resume. Make sure it has an accomplishments section, or that you quantified your successes with specific numbers. Customize each resume to the job posting and ensure that you research the company before you apply. Don’t apply to every role you see, particularly if the job postings are on a recruiter’s website. Finally, use social media to advance your cause, not hinder it.
Your Next Step
No one should walk the job search or hiring road alone. At Clarity Recruitment we help others realize their success through a process that marries proprietary technology with unwavering commitment. Contact us today to take control of your career, or to partner with us to hire well.
Clarity Recruitment, connecting exceptional people with remarkable companies.