We all know the adage. “You only get one chance to make a good first impression.” Whereas this might not be completely accurate, where your resume is concerned it most certainly is true. Your resume is likely your first opportunity to make an impact with a hiring manager. In too many cases a strong candidate with a weak resume loses out on a great opportunity. It does not have to be that way. Understanding how a resume is reviewed and used will give you the fundamental information to craft a product that will stand out. The following five issues are likely working against you.
It is Not Easy to Read.
- Use header and footer function to retain continuity.
- Use Table function to hold formatting for employers, job titles and dates.
- PDF is the best format for integrity in transmission.
- 12 pt type face size for the body of the resume, larger for headers, 14 to 16 pt.
- Use spacing to break up jobs held and to transition from different formats.
- White space is important! Use it liberally.
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Use underlining to separate employers.
It is Not Fun and Interesting Reading;
- Provide a short Executive Summary at the beginning to set the stage.
- Use paragraph format for Career Summary, and Job Responsibilities.
- Italics for job responsibilities will make the resume more interesting to read.
- Use bullet-point format for Accomplishments and Skill Sets.
- Use bold and underline functions to make headers stand out.
- Give a brief description of each employer and the purpose of each position.
It Does Not Reveal You to be a Savvy Professional:
- Leave off Personal interests and “references available upon request.”
- Use industry specific terminology.
- Accomplishments should be predominant
- Executive/Career summary must address your functional discipline, level of accomplishment; and industry/segment expertise.
- Give a short, one line explanation for employer changes.
- Your resume file name should put your last name first, then first name and date.
- Use File/Properties menu option to list key words and other data.
- Use appropriate key words in the body of the resume.
- Avoid trite phrases and meaningless buzz-words.
It Does Not Focus Enough On Your Accomplishments:
- Your Career Summary should position you based on your general contributions.
- Your Skill Sets should provide more definition to your strengths
- Your Employment Summary should bullet-point your most significant accomplishments.
It Is Not Easy to Contact You:
- Cell phone and email addresses are key.
- Home mailing address is unnecessary.
The most important point to understand is that your resume is not read as much as it is scanned. In many of my search assignments up to 50% of the resumes I receive do not fit the desired profile, but I still must review each and every one to make that determination. Hiring managers and their support staff must use their time wisely when sifting through a mountain of resumes. These folks sort your resume into two piles; “possible” and “forget-about-it” by quickly scanning to see if the resume reflects the ideal profile for the position in question. Even if their scan picks up some of the key attributes in question, a poorly formatted resume can end up in the “forget-about-it” pile.
To further drive home the point one would do well by reviewing point of sale marketing messages used by retailers. They use very short messages, sometimes as few as two or three words, that make a strong emotional connection with the shopper. You would be wise to think like a retailer when crafting your resume.
To Summarize, if you are to be considered a viable job candidate, your resume must be interesting, easy to read, and user-friendly for digital (i.e. email) transmission and retrieval. To be viewed as a savvy professional, pay attention to the details. Put your recipient’s needs first. The previous bullet points will set you apart from the rest of the pack.
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Jim Weber, President
New Century Dynamics Executive Search
www.newcenturydynamics.com