Copyright (c) 2006 Joseph Turner

We all know the great benefits a well-written resume can
provide for you.  For instance, done correctly, a good
resume can:

1. Be your calling card.

2. Help you win an interview.

3. Set your agenda during the interview.

4. Continue to sell for you after you’ve left the interview.

But did you know that far too often your resume could be
killing your chance to even get you a phone call.  Worst of
all, you may not even know it’s happening.  In the job
search world of today, your resume will often work AGAINST
you, knocking you out of the search process before you’ve
even had a chance to begin.

Here’s what’s happening: resumes are being used as a
screening-out tool. Used by lower level staff looking for a
quick way to weed candidates out of consideration, your
resume can work against you as much as for you.

You can minimize the chances of this happening with your
resume by following these three simple rules:

1. Less is More: Don’t tell too much. A good resume should
leave the prospective employer with a whetted appetite, a
desire to know more. They will be likely to call and phone
screen you.  So don’t fill in all the details just yet.
Save that for the interview. Do, however, paint a big
picture of who you are and what you can offer. This way the
document can stand on its own.  So skip the hobbies and
personal info.  Avoid mind-numbing detail that will cause a
reader’s eyes to glaze over. One page is ideal, two pages
only if you are a 15 to 20-year veteran with a significant
growth and promotion history.

2. More Keywords:  You want the computers to flag your
resume for closer examination.  Do this by including as
many keywords as possible that are relevant to your job and
your job skills.  Also you might include major companies
you worked with/for, as well as specific industry buzzwords
that may be appropriate.

3. Be specific: Don’t just tell them what you did. Move
beyond that and tell the benefit of your accomplishment.  A
good way to do this is to include several specific ways you
helped your employer make money or save money. Remember,
the only benefit you can bring to the table is past
performance.  When you interview (either phone or in
person) this is what will be discussed.  But set the
groundwork now in your resume. Think of all your jobs in
the past and bring forth examples of some of your best
work. How can an employer think of you as a problem solver?
If at all possible, try to “monetize” your accomplishments
(state them in terms of money).  At the interview, you will
be prepared to enlarge upon these successes.

Summary

By following these three simple rules, you will find your
resume more likely to end up on the “to Call” stack than in
the delete file.

—————————————————-
Joe Turner, the “Job Search Guy”, makes it easy to quickly
land that next job.  To claim your free 6-part Recruiter
Secrets Minicourse, visit
http://www.jobchangesecrets.com/Free_Job_Search_Tips.html

This entry was posted on Saturday, October 21st, 2006 at 8:39 pm and is filed under Business, Career Ladder, Job Interviewing, Resume. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.