Great Insurance Jobs’ Cofounder Roger Lear is here to help you overcome obstacles to your career and job search. This month, he tackles the ever-confounding resume.
“How can I make my claims resume really stand out?”
The resume has changed a lot in the last few years for sure. In speaking with numerous claims professionals about their resumes, I realized that most don’t understand what a good resume looks like only because they get terrible advice from their spouses, neighbors, and co-workers who just want to help. While noble, their advice actually can cost you to miss out on certain jobs. The 2017 resume is actually kind of simple to put together, especially if you understand that you’re really writing it for a screening person or, a lot of times, a robot. In either situation, it is the same resume that basically tells your entire story. It is the first one-half page where you are hoping to grab the attention where most mistakes are made. Here are four tips on how to put your resume together.
1. TITLE: At the very top of the resume (after your name, address, email, and phone), you will put your “title.” This title should be very close to the title of the job to which you are applying. “Property Claims Adjuster” or “Workers Compensation Claims Specialist” as an example. (Notice that I spelled out workers compensation instead of using “WC”) The title is the key to keep the employer or robot wanting more.
2. KEYWORDS: Under the title, list your core competencies. This is a list that includes things like the lines of business you handle (liability, bodily injury, etc.), systems used (Xactimate), licenses, and more. Read the job description and match your competencies to those in the actual job you are applying to only if you actually do them. Spell out all words. These keywords are food for robots and humans; if they line up with the job to which you are applying, then they will want more.
3. ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Add a few accomplishments that show how you perform your job. Things like claims settlement ratios, customer service awards, and reserve authority. Accomplishments should be relative to the job to which you are applying. Running in a marathon doesn’t belong here.
4. WORK HISTORY: Past performance is an indicator of future performance. Showcase your skills that prove you can do the job to which you are applying.
Your job title, core competencies and accomplishments will all fit in a half page. Work history, education, and certifications should fill up the rest. Done right, the first half-page will get the employers very interested in bringing you in for an interview. It also will ensure you get high marks from the robots that reside in large insurance companies’ applicant tracking systems.
Got a career question for Roger? Email him at Roger@GreatInsuranceJobs.com.
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Roger Lear is cofounder of Great Insurance Jobs. roger@greatinsurancejobs.com
