There may be a lot of robots around here at LogicMonitor, but we promise that your resume will be reviewed by a human. Let’s look at some tips for how to get past the application review stage of our hiring process.
1. Use Correct Formatting
Resumes are the first impression you make when applying for a job. At the very least, make sure your document is neat, consistent, and professional. At the very most, have fun with it because creativity can go a long way. Here’s a quick checklist:
- Include your full name, location, links to your work (if applicable), and contact information. While recruiters can see your contact information from the application you fill out, hiring managers only see your resume.
- For each role on your resume include your title, company, the dates you worked there, and a concise description of your responsibilities. Stick to what is most relevant to the job you want. If you have metrics for your successes, include them!
- Put your work history in chronological order.
- Using a cool template? Be sure to replace ALL template text with your own information.
- Make it a reasonable length. One to two pages is ideal, however, don’t sacrifice any valuable experience if it goes over that. If you have it, flaunt it!
- Need to make room? There are a few things you can consider cutting out:
- GPA
- Your full address- we only need the city and state.
- An objective, unless it adds value that you can’t add anywhere else.
- Excellent writing and communication skills is a very common requirement for a job. A grammatically correct resume is a great place to start showing off those excellent writing skills. Don’t forget to proofread and pay attention to spelling, grammar, text alignment, fonts, sizing, and spacing. Find that friend who has strong attention to detail to help you out!
2. Take a Close Look at the Job Description
At LogicMonitor, we use the requirements listed in the job description to objectively review your resume. Do your best to truthfully mirror the qualifications we’re looking for in your resume. If the job description says “must have Java experience”, make sure you include the keyword “Java” if it applies to your experience.
3. Send the Correct File Type
Most documents created in Google Docs or in Word can be downloaded as a PDF. The benefit of sending your resume over as a PDF is that it will retain your formatting. If you’re worried about our applicant tracking system not being able to scan for keywords, don’t worry! All our resumes are reviewed by human eyes.
4. Know When to Include a Cover Letter
Cover letters aren’t mandatory anymore, but a cover letter can come in handy if:
- There’s experience related to the role you want to apply for but doesn’t quite fit in any section of your resume.
- There’s a time gap in your work history. Let us know what you were up to during that time in your cover letter.
- You’re planning on relocating.
- Your plan is to switch careers and your work experience doesn’t quite match the job description. Show us how your experience is transferable.
If your resume clearly reflects the qualifications we’re looking for in the job description you can skip the cover letter. Instead of a cover letter, opt for a quick list highlighting your best qualities right on your resume.
It can be easy to send the same resume and cover letter to every job that comes up in a search in a rapid-fire approach, especially during uncertain times. But remember that the extra time you take to fine-tune an application for a specific job you’re excited about will make your resume shine and you will stand out as a thoughtful and passionate applicant. If you’re interested in joining one of the teams at LogicMonitor, please visit our careers page.
Esther Avila
Talent Acquisition Associate
Esther Avila is an employee at LogicMonitor.
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