Former Amazon Recruiter Reveals the Top Resume Mistake Job Seekers Make
Lindsay Mustain, a former talent acquisition strategist at Amazon, has shared the number one mistake she sees job seekers make on their resumes. In an interview with CNBC Make It, Mustain, who is now the CEO of career coaching company Talent Paradigm, revealed that this common error occurs at all levels, from junior positions to the C-suite.
Dubbed the "Miss America answers" by Mustain, this mistake refers to generic and vague statements that candidates often use to describe their accomplishments. According to Mustain, these statements provide little insight into a candidate's true abilities and prevent them from standing out among other applicants.
Mustain advises job seekers to focus on quantifying their accomplishments rather than simply listing their roles and responsibilities. For example, instead of saying "I had stakeholder meetings with people," candidates should highlight specific metrics and achievements. Mustain suggests including quantifiable results, such as "I solved 30 customers' problems a day" or even considering what they were able to accomplish in a year. By providing concrete numbers and metrics, job seekers can make a stronger impression on recruiters who often only have a few seconds to review each resume.
Recruiters, especially at large companies like Amazon, have to handle a high volume of applicants for each job opening. Mustain explains that recruiters may be juggling up to 25 job openings at once, with an average of 250 applicants per job. To ensure that their resume stands out, job seekers should aim to catch the recruiters' attention by highlighting their quantifiable achievements upfront.
By incorporating more metrics and analytics into their resumes, job seekers can demonstrate the value they have brought to their previous employers. This not only impresses recruiters but also shows them the immediate value that the candidate could potentially bring to their company.
In today's competitive job market, it is crucial for job seekers to avoid the "Miss America answers" and instead focus on showcasing their quantifiable accomplishments. By following Mustain's advice, job seekers can increase their chances of standing out among thousands of applicants and securing their dream job.
Analyst comment
This news can be considered as a positive one because it provides valuable advice to job seekers on improving their resumes. As an analyst, it is predicted that the market for career coaching companies like Talent Paradigm might experience a boost as job seekers seek assistance in enhancing their resumes to stand out from the competition.
