Résumé and Job Search Help

In this article you’ll find some quick, do-it-yourself tips to ensure you have a résumé you can be proud of.

Don’t let your résumé hold you back from getting that long-sought after interview!

For the past three years I have been working as a résumé writer and I have seen many résumés! I’ve rarely seen one I thought was perfect even when offering free critiques at a job fair. I’m always amazed at what people will bring to a job fair, actually thinking it represents them in a positive light.

Now that the jobs are fewer and the number of employers at most job fairs has dwindled considerably, a job seeker can no longer get away with a mediocre résumé.

1. Résumé as Ad. If you’ve ever studied marketing or advertising, you’ll know that most consumers only glance at an ad for a few seconds. The advertisers must capture the consumers attention in that time so that they will keep reading and spend more time on their ad.  This is the same concept you can apply to your résumé. The top 1/3 of the page is what will grab an employers attention. You must use that space very wisely. It must be attractive, but it must also give the employer enough information to capture their interest and keep them reading. This is where you should have a very concise professional summary or what some like to call a “20 second commercial” about yourself.

2. Target. When someone picks up your résumé, it should be very clear what kind of position you are interested in. Many people have complained to me that they prefer to keep it open because they are “willing to take ANYTHING.” So then I ask them if they are willing to work at the local burger joint. They usually just scoff at me as if I’m being extreme. But the truth is, there is always something particular they are interested in. Here’s the thing, I don’t have time to try to dig through your Résumé to try to find out what position you want. Spell it out at the top and make it clear. Compose several different résumés if you’re experience is so broad that you can’t narrow it into one field.

3. Keywords. For every profession, there are keywords. It’s not as if they are magical, but they are terms that are frequently used in the field. If you have enough years of experience in any field, you know there are terms that are unique to that field. Often, you can find them in the job announcements themselves. This is one reason I like federal job announcements. The keywords are always clearly identified. Once you determine which words you should be using, you can either pepper them through the content of your résumé or you can simply make a bulleted list of them. Either way is fine and the scanning software will pick them out.

4. WIIFM? If you haven’t heard this acronym, it stands for: What’s In It For Me? This is important because when you are proofreading your résumé, you need to ask yourself this question regularly. If you put yourself in the shoes of the employer, you’ll understand that they want to know straight up what YOU can do for THEM. They want to know why they should hire you. What makes you different or special? A lot of people may have your skill set, but what is it about YOU that makes you a better selection. If you have an issue with bragging about yourself, get ex-supervisors or professors to write letters of recommendation for you. Then cut and paste a quote or two onto your résumé.

It’s so important to be competitive today. There are tons of free, high quality résumé samples online. The résumé won’t get you the job, but at least it can get you an interview. Using these few tips can help you craft a better résumé and get you noticed by employers faster!

An objective statement is another piece of the résumé puzzle that clients often tell me they were taught in high school. Some of the ones I have seen are just silly. The only reason to even have an objective statement is if you know EXACTLY which job you have written your résumé for.

Think about it, most objective statements are written in a very general way such as, “Seeking a position which allows me to use my 10 years of experience and offers opportunity for advancement.” It doesn’t tell the hiring official anything useful and on top of that, it’s basically all about the what the seeker is looking for.

If you have an objective statement on your résumé, just delete it! Instead, design a Professional Summary or Skills Summary. This is a small paragraph in the top 1/3 of the page that briefly describes your skills, your experience and what you have to offer the employer, should you be hired for the job.

Just as your résumé should change for each job you apply to, your professional summary should change as well. You can target résumé and your professional summary for the specific job you are applying for. This is especially helpful if you have training or experience in two different fields.

So what does a professional summary look like? Well, each person should have their own version and that version should change a bit for each job they are targeting, however let me give you a very generic example:

“Retired Army veteran offering 20 years of project management and supervisory experience. Product-focused with a proven ability to reduce the bottom line and increase team cohesiveness. A conscientious leader and dedicated team member who strives for exceptional results and demonstrates success in all endeavors. ”

Now, where do you find a description of yourself and how do you come up with this 15-second commercial? This is when letters of recommendation come in handy. If you don’t have any, ask your current supervisor or coworkers to write one for you. You may never need to show anyone, but it gives you and idea of what others think of your work ethic and accomplishments. Not only that, but you can compile those letters into an portfolio to take along to an interview. How awesome would you look if you passed a portfolio around to the members of your interview panel full of accolades about you?