The difference between candidates in the specialty chemical industry who get noticed by recruiters comes down to how good they look on paper. Without meeting face to face, often all that a recruiter has to go off of for deciding if a candidate could be a fit is their resume or LinkedIn profile. Think of it as making a good first impression. If you were a specialty chemical recruiter looking to hire for an executive position, which profile would you reach out to first: a completely filled out profile sprinkled with the right keywords throughout, or a profile that has one title and a company and no other information. To create a standout resume and profile, you need to understand what recruiters are looking for, and who better to ask than our Director of Research, Lindsay Schaaf!

What are recruiters looking at?

Thanks to advancing technology, studies have created resume heat maps that track eye movements of recruiters showing where they look on a resume and for how long. Within seconds, a recruiter can look at a resume and tell if a candidate will be a fit for a position. The areas that they are looking are name and contact information, location, current title and company, past titles and companies, dates within those roles, and education. They will then also scan for keywords.

How to get noticed on paper (or screen):

The key items to follow typically are the same for both resume and LinkedIn. If you do not have a LinkedIn, you’ll want to create one. Not only does it show recruiters and hiring managers that you are up to date with current job trends and know how to network today, it will allow yourself more exposure to the specialty chemical niche network. Here are the basics to follow:

  • Fully fill out your LinkedIn profile
    • Work history, titles, dates, education/degrees, etc.
  • Always include dates of employment
  • Have a professional profile picture
    • Try to avoid using selfies
  • Keep it short and sweet
    • Make it reader friendly, don’t get too long winded, use bullet points
  • Keywords are KING
    • Relevant keywords help you appear in more recruiter searches and they will also catch the recruiter’s eye in your resume.
  • Show that you are open to opportunities
    • LinkedIn has an option to show on your profile that you are open to opportunities that only people with recruiter seats, outside of your company, can see.
  • Network, be active and interacting, and connect with others in specialty chemical groups

In a tight niche such as specialty chemicals, it is important to give yourself the upper hand at opportunities by looking good in your resume and on LinkedIn. With a fully filled out profile and easy to read resume, you can open doors to opportunities that could take your career to the next level.