Thinking
of
going it alone? |
| Consider
the following resume tips... |
A resume is like
a sales presentation delivered via fax or
email. Selling yourself on paper is considerably
more difficult than selling yourself on the
telephone or in person. You must write and
format a resume that can sell your suitability
to the ultimate decision maker through an
intermediary (the gatekeeper). Think of it
as trying to make a sale by faxing your pitch
to the customer's lawyer. Your resume must
be near perfect to pass muster.
Resume writing does not come naturally to
most people, not even professional resume
writers. Anyone who has reviewed tens of thousands
of resumes, knows that most resumes are dangerously
flawed. Many qualified candidates waste weeks
on fruitless job searches because they do
not understand the cold realities of resume
writing and formatting. |
| |
| If you
would like to save yourself a lot of wasted
effort, here are a few things to consider
before you submit another resume: |
| |
| A rapid-scan
resume format is essential because recruiters
rarely read resumes; they scan them in 10-15
seconds. |
| Recruiters and
HR managers often receive hundreds of resumes
for each open position; they are often overworked
and cannot spend more than a few seconds scanning
each resume. They often screen 100-200 resumes
a day, based on vague, changing, and sometimes
contradictory criteria. If you do not format
your resume to sell you quickly and effectively,
you will not get interviews. |
| |
| Your
resume must sell to two audiences. |
| You must write
and format your resume to appeal to two audiences:
resume screeners and hiring managers. These
audiences often have different agendas. Corporate
recruiters may be in no hurry to fill all
open positions because open positions mean
job security. Gatekeepers guard their turf
jealously, so you can be certain that the
hiring manager will not see any resume that
has not been blessed by the gatekeeping crew.
You must present a resume that can satisfy
gatekeepers as well as seasoned hiring managers.
If your resume makes it clear that you meet
all job requirements, the gatekeeper will
be compelled to forward it to the hiring manager. |
| |
| Doubt
means you're out. |
| Most employers
receive resumes from people who are obviously
qualified; they do not have time to contact
people who may be qualified. Most gatekeepers
have been burned by candidates who look good
on paper but fall short in interviews. They
know that they will be blamed for any poor
hiring decision, so they tend eliminate resumes
for the slightest infraction or omission.
If your resume raises questions, recruiters
rarely call to get answers. They simply move
on to the next resume. |
| |
| Job requirements
are fluid. |
| Often, hiring
authorities realize what they are looking
for in a candidate only after they see it.
Job postings are not updated to reflect new
requirements because many HR departments are
understaffed. In order to write an effective
resume, the resume writer must anticipate
resume screening criteria. |
| |
| Strong
Candidate + Weak Resume = No Interview. |
| Even if you are
a strong candidate, your skills and experience
cannot overcome a weak resume. Recruiters
and hiring managers decide who to call for
an interview after they have reviewed a number
of resumes. Solid qualifications and good
references make no difference if the resume
is deficient. If your resume does not sell,
you will not be considered for most desirable
and lucrative jobs in your field. |
| |
| Management
experience is not a substitute. |
| Years of hiring
experience, as a manager or executive, do
not provide adequate preparation for writing
a resume. One cannot fully understand the
screening process unless one has screened
hundreds of resumes, week after week, for
several years. Many hiring managers and HR
generalists will tell you that your resume
should be one or two pages long. Not true.
Seasoned recruiters who have screened tens
of thousands of resumes know that a resume
should be as long as it takes to get the point
across. |
| |
| Even
superstars need a coach. |
| Many qualified
candidates gain an edge by hiring professional
resume writers. Go a step further by hiring
a professional with strong writing skills
and relevant professional experience. Lawyers
seek legal advice and dentists see dentists
because objectivity, neutral perspective,
and professional detachment are priceless.
If you go it alone you will be at a disadvantage. |
| |
| Many
online and offline resources on resume writing
were written before 1998 — eons ago.
|
| Some resume writing
advisors have not updated their writings to
reflect changes in technology and contemporary
economic realities; they still refer to the
Internet as the "Information Superhighway"
and carp endlessly on the importance of resume
paper. Expired resume writing advice can hurt
your job search. |
| |
| Free
resumes can be expensive. |
| You could spend
hours or days gathering "free" resume
writing information of dubious value only
to end up with a resume that sabotages your
job search. You need professional expertise
and objectivity to write and format an effective
resume. If a new resume shortens your job
search by one day, or results in a 1 percent
increase in salary, it pays for itself. An
ineffective resume can cost thousands of dollars
in lost time, income, and opportunity. |
| |
| >>
More job search tips... |
 |
| The following
links point to pages with further advice on
resume writing. |
|
|
|
| Let us
rewrite your resume to deliver maximum impact. |
| |
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|
| Contact
us today. |
| Let us use the
experience we have gained on the other side
of the fence to your advantage. We make experienced,
highly qualified engineers,
professionals
and executives
look even better. Your resume will come to
you custom-built, with the best guarantee
in the industry. |
| |
| Contact
us to discuss your options. |
|
| Should
you write your own resume? We think
not. |
|
|