A Resume That Works
A resume that works is, above all
else, a resume that will be read. The purpose of a resume is to help you
get an interview. If as the result of submitting your resume, you get
an interview with a prospective employer, you have a resume that worked!
Resumes are mostly used to screen people OUT of consideration!
A resume that works screens you IN! A resume that works stands
out from all the others. It will get you the attention you deserve.
Employers don't spend much time reading a resume. Thirty seconds is a
fair estimate. Maybe as little as 15 seconds... unless you get their attention
immediately, in that first glance-through.
Think of your resume as an advertisement about yourself. Your resume must
be built with the same techniques that advertisers use, to give you the
edge over your competition. The resume must have a strong impact on your
prospective employer.
When you go shopping and buy something, you are buying more than just
the product or service. You buy the benefits that the product or service
is intended to provide. When you buy a car, for example, you are really
buying more than just a car...
- you are buying the attractive appearance and design,
- you are buying its special features, such as air bags, responsive engine, etc.,
- you are buying the manufacturer's reputation for reliability and quality,
- you are buying the promise of performance,
- you are buying its lifestyle benefits.
Likewise, the employer buys the benefits that you bring
to the organization.
So your resume must convey the benefits that you offer. The way in which
you communicate your benefits, i.e. your skills, talents, aptitudes and
abilities, will make the difference between being screened into the hiring
process and being simply screened out of the hiring process.
In your resume, the best way to present your benefits is to emphasize
your accomplishments and the results you have produced.
Most people don't do that. What you usually see on a resume are job duties
and responsibilities. A listing of what you were responsible for gives
no indication of what you accomplished and what results you produced.
It does not market you to the employer. Employers buy benefits! That is
what you should reflect in your resume! That is what makes a resume that
works!
When you prepare your resume put yourself in the employer's shoes. If
you were looking for someone for this position, what skills, aptitudes,
personality, qualities would you be looking for? If you don't know, you
need to find out!! Go talk to some people who are intimately familiar
with the type of work you are seeking. Research the requirements first,
before you prepare your resume for that position.
And when you feel you really know what those expectations and requirements
are, you need to focus your resume in a way that specifically addresses
those requirements.
This means that if you are applying for different positions you will likely
need a resume that is specific to each position.
