10 tips to a killer résumé
Posted
Sep 22 2009, 07:34 AM
by
Karen Datko
Rating:
This post comes from Jim Wang at partner blog Bargaineering.com.
A few years ago, when unemployment was low and the economy was rosy, all you needed to do to get a job was get your résumé in front of as many people as possible. You had to carpet bomb, stuff electronic résumé boxes, and simply wait. One of the companies you reached out to probably had a job opening and you probably were a pretty good fit.
Nowadays, the jobs are harder to find and companies aren't going to take a risk on a "pretty good fit." So, I compiled a list of 10 tips I've tried to use when crafting my résumé during a job search.
You are a salesperson now. Joe Sugarman is one of the most famous copywriters of all time and a mail order maven. I read one of his books about copywriting, and think that the best part about his tips is that they're simple -- your title should be designed to get the reader to read the first sentence. The first sentence should be designed to get the reader to read the second sentence. The second ... you get the idea.
The goal of your résumé should be to get yourself an interview. You're not trying to land the job right away. You're trying to get your foot in the door, an interview on the schedule, and the opportunity to demonstrate you are fit for the job.
Tailor your résumé. Highlight the things that make you a great fit. If you are applying for a specific position and held a similar one at another company, make sure that's at the top of the list of work experience. In the job description, look for the keywords that pop out at you and make sure they are on your résumé.
If you possess skills that make you a good fit, put them at the front of the skills section and trim off any irrelevant listings. If you have relevant certifications, include them and do so in the order of importance to the job. You don't want to be a good fit; you want to be a perfect fit. It will result in some extra work but it's about quality, not quantity, now.
Be specific. When writing about your work experience, be as specific as possible. If you're unsure if the words you use are specific enough, use a thesaurus to see what the synonyms are. Are you comfortable with any of the synonyms in place of the word you chose? Did you use a vague word like "manage"? Did you manage a team or did you lead the team? Were you the team lead? Project lead? System architect? The more specific you are, the more accurate the picture.
Quantify everything you can. Anyone can say "I streamlined process XYZ," but if you streamlined a process and saved the company $500,000, write it down. If you brought a project in on time and under budget by 20%, explicitly say so. If you recently passed a certification test, include the date. The person reviewing the résumé is going to see a lot of résumés and will put more credence in one that actually states numbers that can be confirmed. No one wants to offer an interview to someone who passed a certification test five years ago and hasn't updated it since.
Demonstrate skill and knowledge. Anyone can say that they're experienced in something, but the only way to prove it on paper is to show that you used that skill or expertise in a job function. If you are skilled in "event planning," don't simply state it. Demonstrate it by listing something you planned. What's more effective: seeing "event planning" under a skills heading or having a job experience listing that says you planned a three-day conference with 1,000 attendees?
Sell benefits, not features. A classic bit of sales advice is to sell a product's benefits, not its features. Features are great, but if you can translate them into benefits, you are a far more appealing product. True story: My father had impeccable handwriting (feature) and was hired for a job because an administrative assistant didn't have to type up his notes (benefit). If you wanted to put that in a résumé bullet, it would look like this: Penmanship cut labor expenses by $5,000 annually by eliminating the need for a personal transcription service. It's a bit of a ridiculous example but I think you get what I mean.
Use lists, bullet points. Avoid large blocks of text whenever possible because people in a hurry simply won't read them. If you're discussing work experience, you don't want to write a narrative. You want bullet points listing your hallmark achievements and responsibilities in the job. If you write a narrative, there's a big risk that the reader will simply skip over it.
Project the right image. When someone looks at the entire résumé, it should project a certain image about who you are, what you've accomplished, and where you want to go. Whether it's your objective statement or the types of jobs you've chosen to list on the résumé, make sure it fits the image you want to present of yourself. Oh, and if your e-mail address is cutiegurlzzz19@hotmail.com, I recommend getting a new account with just your name.
Get it peer reviewed. Have someone, or several someones, review your résumé to make sure everything makes sense. When you work on a document for a long time, it's easy to overlook mistakes, and a fresh set of eyes can pick those out for you. They can also tell you if your résumé is specific enough, if you've quantified enough data, and whether you've embellished it a bit too much ... which leads us to the final tip.
Don't lie, embellish; be 100% truthful. You would think that this tip is unnecessary, but we all know we embellish sometimes. We saved the company $800 but we say $1,000; we led a 10-person team and we say a dozen. That's a mistake. Employers will verify the information on your résumé and they will pull offers if they find that you lied or otherwise embellished something. You may also find yourself way over your head, depending on how badly you exaggerated. The goal isn't to get any job, it's to get a job where you can succeed and build a career. You can't start a career with a lie.
Do you have a tip that has helped you out tremendously in a job hunt?
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