Creating a Resume - What a Recruiter Would Tell You About Making a Resume Pop
Most of your competition approach their resumes backward.
They try to think of all the great things they've done.
Instead, your first goal in writing a resume has to be find out the exact problems your potential employer has and then marshal your skills and experience into a solution to that problem.
Here are just two cutting edge techniques a recruiter would give you for creating a resume that makes them call: 1.
Lead with your best 10-second pitch.
Write your resume to generate immediate excitement, the sense that you could be the one they're looking for.
How do you do that? A career summary with proof.
When you're creating a resume, don't depend on long lists of what you've done.
They'll never get to it.
Make the first 7 lines below your name the best on the page.
Here's the formula: (Statement of capabilities that runs to three lines) IT manager who has consistently installed new systems with near-zero downtime...
(bold-face example - one line, centered on page) Installed 3 new systems in 27 months on-time, on-budget (An italicized proof statement) Received Mega Co Award of Merit 2005-2007.
Add second example and proof statement if possible.
2.
Make your proof points specific.
You want the recruiter to imagine you in the vacant position and like what they see.
The place to do that is the SUMMARY statement.
And the way to paint a strong picture is by using specifics.
Here's what I mean: Poor summary: Responsible for revenue creation Average Summary: Increased revenues from OEM sales.
Strong Summary: Raised revenues 11% year over year in competitive market.
Golden Summary: Accelerated revenue growth by 11% in 6 months against a target of 6% The format is a) a past-tense action verb (accelerated), a specific figure (11%) during a specific time (6 months) compared to some specific goal (target of 6%).
Be scrupulously honest.
If you're not sure, it's OK to estimate.
Write down the calculations in case someone asks.
With the fierce competition in this job market, having 91 applications on the street does you no good at all if each of them is weak.
There are so many candidates, just one or two of them will create great packets and beat you for each job.
You can create your own good fortune with these three axioms: 3.
You can make yourself the obvious choice for the job and attract many offers, but to do it, you must be the candidate who maximizes every portion of your job packet to attract the recruiter's attention, so 4.
You need a system for creating a resume that it is absolutely optimized to get you calls, and 5.
You'll actually use your system if it's automated so it creates resumes so rapidly and easily that it's a natural part of applying (and you don't fall prey to good intentions that never get fulfilled).
They try to think of all the great things they've done.
Instead, your first goal in writing a resume has to be find out the exact problems your potential employer has and then marshal your skills and experience into a solution to that problem.
Here are just two cutting edge techniques a recruiter would give you for creating a resume that makes them call: 1.
Lead with your best 10-second pitch.
Write your resume to generate immediate excitement, the sense that you could be the one they're looking for.
How do you do that? A career summary with proof.
When you're creating a resume, don't depend on long lists of what you've done.
They'll never get to it.
Make the first 7 lines below your name the best on the page.
Here's the formula: (Statement of capabilities that runs to three lines) IT manager who has consistently installed new systems with near-zero downtime...
(bold-face example - one line, centered on page) Installed 3 new systems in 27 months on-time, on-budget (An italicized proof statement) Received Mega Co Award of Merit 2005-2007.
Add second example and proof statement if possible.
2.
Make your proof points specific.
You want the recruiter to imagine you in the vacant position and like what they see.
The place to do that is the SUMMARY statement.
And the way to paint a strong picture is by using specifics.
Here's what I mean: Poor summary: Responsible for revenue creation Average Summary: Increased revenues from OEM sales.
Strong Summary: Raised revenues 11% year over year in competitive market.
Golden Summary: Accelerated revenue growth by 11% in 6 months against a target of 6% The format is a) a past-tense action verb (accelerated), a specific figure (11%) during a specific time (6 months) compared to some specific goal (target of 6%).
Be scrupulously honest.
If you're not sure, it's OK to estimate.
Write down the calculations in case someone asks.
With the fierce competition in this job market, having 91 applications on the street does you no good at all if each of them is weak.
There are so many candidates, just one or two of them will create great packets and beat you for each job.
You can create your own good fortune with these three axioms: 3.
You can make yourself the obvious choice for the job and attract many offers, but to do it, you must be the candidate who maximizes every portion of your job packet to attract the recruiter's attention, so 4.
You need a system for creating a resume that it is absolutely optimized to get you calls, and 5.
You'll actually use your system if it's automated so it creates resumes so rapidly and easily that it's a natural part of applying (and you don't fall prey to good intentions that never get fulfilled).