Are You More Likely to Get a Job with a Resume?

Last Updated on March 4, 2024 by Asfa Rasheed

Do you need a resume in order to get a job? Can you get a job without a resume? Are you more likely to get a job with a resume?

If you’re looking for a job, you may have questions like these. You may especially wonder about the importance of a resume if you’ve never made one before or if you feel like your qualifications don’t look good on a resume.

We’ll look at the answers to these questions and learn how to make a resume work for you – even if your career progression makes you worry about your resume.

Can I Get a Job Without a Resume?

The simple answer to this question is yes, you can get a job without a resume. If you start your own business, you won’t require a resume. There are also a number of jobs and industries that operate largely through networking and word-of-mouth.

For example, if you want to work in a construction trade – plumbing, HVAC, carpentry, landscaping, or painting, for example – you may be able to get a job simply by expressing your interest to the owner of the company. A verbal exchange describing your skills and experience (or your willingness to learn) may be all it takes to get the job.

But can you get any job you want without a resume? It’s not likely. Resumes of various sorts have been in use for hundreds of years. Employers expect them, and resumes are useful in helping an employer determine the fit of a potential employee.

Additionally, many companies today use online hiring platforms. Uploading a resume is a required part of the application process.

What If I Don’t Have a Very Good Resume?

Maybe you’re entering the workforce for the first time and you don’t have any experience. Maybe circumstances have caused a large gap in your employment, and you are afraid this will make you look bad. Perhaps you lost your job or are making a major career change, and your past experience just doesn’t fit your current path.

Don’t worry. These circumstances don’t have to look bad on your resume. If you choose to use a functional or combination resume, you can help your employer focus on your skills rather than on your employment history or career gaps. Check out this hybrid resume template to learn how to make your resume work for you. Even interesting facts like your hobbies or personal projects can be leveraged to reach your career goals.

Improving Your Resume

Consider the following tips that can help your resume stand out.

Use Keywords

If you apply online (rather than handing in a printed resume), you can be almost certain that your potential employer uses an applicant tracking system (ATS). An ATS is computer software that analyzes resumes and ranks them.

The ATS’s job is to look for keywords – if your resume doesn’t have them, you likely won’t get the job. For each job you apply to, read the job listing carefully and pick out keywords. These may be things like necessary skills, duties, or technologies. Include them in your resume.

Make It Look Good

You can use online resume templates to create a resume that is visually appealing, professional, and easy to read.

Include Professional Social Media

Add a link to your LinkedIn profile or professional website on your resume. This will help your hiring manager learn more about you.

Don’t, however, link to personal social media. And clean up your personal accounts – your hiring manager might find them, so remove unprofessional photos or comments.

Using Online Resumes

For many of us, our resumes live on the cloud or on the hard drives of our computers. But digital resumes can be used on various websites to gain good results.

For example, your LinkedIn profile is like a digital resume that is always available to be viewed online. Companies or recruiters may search for specific skillsets on LinkedIn and reach out to you if they think you are a good fit. You can even adjust a setting to let recruiters know you are open to new positions.

Many job search sites also have online resume tools. For example, “job seekers who apply using Indeed Resume are 24% more likely to get a positive response from employers than those who upload a resume file.” According to these internal statistics, the use of these “clear and formatted” resume templates inspires confidence in hiring managers.

In Conlcusion

While it is possible to get hired without a resume, having one is essential for many career paths. Some industries are comfortable with word-of-mouth hiring strategies, but others are not. Using a functional or hybrid resume, as well as using online resume tools, can enhance your image and the first impression your resume presents.

Apart from this, if you are interested to know more about Be Your Own HR then visit our Business category.