At the start of The Hunger Games, Katniss finds herself on a pedestal looking out upon a massive cornucopia filled with weapons and resources. All around her stand competitors with the same goal in mind. The countdown timer runs to zero, a noise signaling the start of the games sounds throughout the arena and everyone runs towards the cornucopia. If you’ve read the book or seen the movie, you know what happens next: a bloodbath. Don’t battle your competitors, outsmart them.

Learn to position yourself by focusing on the essentials of a job posting. Focus on your job skills for which you are exceptionally good at doing. Communicate the same during a job interview linking what you do well in terms of bringing value and a return on investment to the company.

Link major responsibilities in the job posting and integrate them into your core competencies.

You need to be adept at recognizing KEYWORDS that help your resume pass the Applicant Tracking System (ATS).

One way to ensure KEYWORD ACCURACY is to run a search on LinkedIn for professionals who hold the same or similar position and check out the “SKILLS” section of their profile.

You should draft THREE resume formats:

1. A MINI Resume to FAX to the employer or to present at Job Fairs.

2. An ATS compliant resume to survive the algorithm test.

3. A Resume to Hand IN PERSON to the employer that ignores the ATS.

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UPDATED: March 2, 2016