So, you’ve leaped over that first hurdle: the employer has FINALLY e mailed you to say he wants to see you. Yikes! Panic! What next? How can you impress upon him that you are the one for the job?
1. Don't be modest. Many of us are hesitant to say just how much we have done, or how good we are. We grow up being taught not to brag, but this is your chance! A resume is like a sales prospectus, and YOU are the product. The resume gets you the sales interview, but then it's up to you to close the sale. Make sure you don't leave out the ‘good stuff.’
2. Talk about what you've done to show how good you are. The statement: "Effectively managed a diverse population of 30 computer professionals who installed 400 workstations in six months” is effective; "Am excellent with people and have great managerial skills" is not. "Consistently exceeded production quotas by 30 to 50 %" is effective; "Am very good at getting a lot of work done" is not.
3. Keep it honest. You want to say as much as you can that is positive about yourself, but don't ever put in anything you can't defend, justify or comfortably explain.
4. Presentation IS important.While your resume content is of course vital, its visual appearance can make a big difference. If your resume is crowded and hard to read, a busy executive might not even take the time to go through it with the care it deserves. Unfair? Of course, but this is the real world. Use indentations, bullet points, and lots of white space. Be
careful not to over do the 'white space' though. As a rule, two or three short to medium sentences should appear under each bullet point.
5. Use the appropriate amount of pages. If you've been in the work force for 6 months, and are applying for your third job, a two page resume would not be helpful. No one wants to look through lots of padding. On the other hand, if you've been employed for twenty years, have lots of experience and several jobs, trying to compress it into one page will never do. In that case, forget the fact that the "experts" say to put it on one page, and use the space you make your resume right. This is especially true if you have changed careers a lot or have a scattered work history. Most resumes these days tend to be no longer than 3 pages. (Note that scholarly scientific candidates can have as many as 12-14 pages, by the time all of their publications are included.)
6. Functional versus Chronological. If your most recent job is the most relevant to your next one, a standard chronological resume listing employment from last to first with a couple of sentences about your position under each employer. If you are changing careers, going back to something you used to do, or have a scattered work history, then a functional resume will probably serve your needs better. (This lists your achievements first, dividing them into several categories, and then puts your employment afterwards with relatively little comment. If your resume is more than one page (and most functional resumes are), be sure to put the most relevant sections for your new position on page one.
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7. Avoid "Buzzword Mania". Most fields have professional "jargon", and it's important to include enough technical terms to let your future employer know that you are familiar with their industry. This is especially important in high tech fields like computers or engineering, but it is also true in insurance, construction, nursing, etc. Resumes that are little more than a collection of these ‘buzzwords’ do nothing at all to set you apart from other candidates who are chasing the same position. Your need to give the prospective employer some sense of who you are and what he can reasonably expect you to accomplish if he hires you.
8. Make sure it's right! As the old saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. If your prospective employer is getting a boatload of resumes, it doesn't matter if you ARE the most qualified applicant--unless you can get their attention. With a mediocre resume, it will be an uphill battle. Take the time to get your resume right! If you can't do it yourself, seek assistance from a professional who can give you that extra edge. Many successful, talented, and creative people still choose to get help with their resumes. They know that their talents lie in other areas, and they want every possible advantage. That's part of why they're successful in the first place!
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