You've done all the research, studied the “Top 15 Interview Questions You Should Know How to Answer”* or delved into “6 Reasons Why You Didn't Get the Job”*, you're primed and ready and totally confident in your abilities to begin your job search.

You've posted your resume on every possible jobsite out there. You review the job postings, even send out a few tentative resumes with dynamic cover letters and still, nobody calls or you get the standard “Thanks for Applying” emails. What's wrong?

Recruiters catch a lot of flak for not recognizing candidate qualifications. You hear stories about keyword scanning software that pitches out most candidates – even the most qualified ones. I cannot speak for every recruiter, but I can tell you that I personally review every resume I receive. However, I do use keywords to search for candidates with specific qualifications and honestly, I'm just not finding you.

Obviously, there are tons of opportunities out there right now and strong candidates are harder and harder to come by. However, the fact that I'm not finding you could also be due to the fact that your resume does not tell me who you are or what you've done. You assume I'll know that you have specialized experience just based upon the companies you've worked for – and I might, if I receive the resume, recognize that you do, or at least research the company to find out. However, if I'm searching for candidates I may never find you if the experience is not spelled out on the resume. For example, if I'm searching for a Production Manager who has a strong background in injection molding within a Tier I automotice environment, my search parameters may totally overlook the fact that you have that background if you simply put that you worked for XYZ Company as a Production Manager. It's really almost impossible to review every single Production Manager resume out there.

For all the flak that recruiters catch – most of us are not stupid. However, we do depend on technology to help us with what we're searching for. Because of this, it is important to spell it out – on the resume indicate that XYZ Company is a Tier I automotive supplier of interior trim, tell us that you were over X number of people in injection molding, assembly, etc.. In short, give detailed information about every company that you list on your resume, and then go on to give specific detailed information about your role within the company.

I know this goes totally against all the “one or two page resume” lectures that you've heard. However, if no one can find you, or if, when they receive your resume, they still have no idea what you've done, it doesn't matter just how concise you've managed to make the resume. Don't sell yourself short in an effort to be brief – and don't make it so difficult for me to find you or understand what you've done that I pass right over you.

*Made up Titles Meant to Poke Fun at Thousands of Blogs related to the Top # of Reasons