An Effective Resume Fits Like a Good Suit
An Effective Resume Fits Like a Good Suit
"Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are." - Malcolm Forbes
Resumes are all about making a memorable impression.
Imagine a room full of job candidates waiting for an interview. With one glance, an experienced hiring manager will spot the candidates with the most potential -- who know who they are and why they are there, who are purposeful and responsible, understand the importance of how they present themselves, take care of their belongings, hold themselves with confidence and willingness, and communicate easily -- simply by the way they wear their attire.
The candidates dressed for success have left the frills at home -- they've chosen a suit that keeps things simple and straightforward. These candidates are dressed uniquely enough to reflect their style and personality, but conservatively enough to demonstrate that they have been educated in and are willing to do things the way they are done in business. Their clothing is fitted to their unique shape and size -- not baggy or skimpy in an attempt to direct attention away from the real them. The cut and fabric shows a modest investment -- too expensive of an outfit, and they may hint of being high-maintenance or price themselves out of a modest-paying job; too inexpensive and they look like they don't know the value of the position or their own skills. Their suits are freshly laundered and pressed to show a respect for themselves and their capabilities, and worn with good posture to reveal confidence borne from accomplishment.
Resumes are designed to do the same thing that a well-chosen suit can do when it comes to first trying to get the attention of a potential employer. They are intended to convey the best selling points of a job candidate, and how well they'll fit into specific roles within an organization, at a glance.
An effective resume is:
- A marketing tool - Marketing themselves is one of the key responsibilities of any career seeker. A resume allows them to make prospective employers aware of their availability, promote their best assets, explain why they are the best choice, and offer incentives to hire them.
- Motivating - A resume is effective when it creates a sense of urgency -- motivating potential employers to act immediately and initiate contact with an email or phone call. This urgency is created when the person holding the resume in the HR office or hiring department says, "This candidate looks really promising. They like they'd be an asset for any company, and is a great match for our open position. I better act fast before they get snatched up by another employer." Resume elements that can help create urgency are addressed below.
- Targeted - Common roles in companies, such as "Customer Service Manager" or "Inside Sales Representative", often have standard job descriptions. Job hunters can increase their chances of being considered by writing their resume using similar language, and showing how their skills and experience apply to each listed responsibility of the job. The more a candidate's resume demonstrates that they've been successful in managing responsibilities similar to the requirements of the job description, the more likely the recruiter, human resources coordinator or hiring manager is likely to follow up. Whenever possible, a job applicant should try to get a written job description for any open position they are interested in, so he or she can tweak their resume with specific wording that addresses "Why I'm the best match for this particular position."
- Simple and straightforward - Like a baseball trading card, a resume should summarize the most important facts about what the candidate brings to the table in a clear, concise manner. Don't underestimate the power of bullet points -- lists are much easier to read than paragraphs, highlight key points rather than being wordy, and leave white space to make a text-dense document less overwhelming.
- Short but sweet - Any resume that is more than one page long takes twice as much work to process (copying, stapling, keeping track of which pages go with which) so human resources professionals definitely prefer to receive one-page resumes. Plus, job applicants who submit one-page resumes show they are capable of condensing information well and working within the process. In most cases, submitting a resume that is longer than one page is like waving a red flag that says "the rules don't apply to me". Applicants for senior level positions are the exception -- their resumes can be 2-3 pages. But most career seekers should dedicate one page to experience, accomplishments and skills while reserving objectives, references and hobbies for incorporation into emails and interviews.
- Capable of delivering what it sells - In the same way movie trailers reveal tantalizing snippets of what's to come -- in some cases creating anticipation that's met with satisfaction in the theater, and in other cases disappointing because the best moments of the movie were all in the trailer -- a resume should sell what it can deliver.
- Example-based - Whenever possible, a resume should provide examples of how the applicant has applied their skills and abilities to deliver results. For example, (note the pun), 3-5 links to samples of best-quality work that are available online for review should be included (if applicable). Statements listed under professional experience such as "Reduced the cost of outsourcing services for the accounting department by more than $5000 annually by volunteering to provide a one hour lunch-and-learn training" demonstrates the candidate has initiative, understands the bottom line (saving the company money), is team-oriented, and is aware of how their unique skillset can be used to benefit the organization.
- Past tense - Because resumes should be example-based (see above), they should be written in the past tense -- for example, "Created this...", "Managed this...", and "Participated in this...".
- Error-free - Kellogg's Special K frequently uses the word "everyday" on its cereal products instead of "every day". Everyday means commonplace or unexciting -- definitely not the message they're trying to communicate. This just goes to show that even a team of writers, graphic designers, editors, printers, art directors, and quality managers for a large corporation can overlook an error in word usage. Smart job hunters ask at least 3 friends or colleagues who possess a clear grasp of grammar and spelling and an eagle eye for detail to review their resumes.
- Submitted correctly in the desired format - Most employers are clear about how they want resumes submitted to them, and invariably it is in digital form. Resumes formatted in a Microsoft Word document is one of the most common choices for submissions. PDF-format resumes are designed to make it easy for anyone to read them, regardless of the software they have on their computer. Text-only resumes should be formatted with bullet points (using dashes or asterisks) to make them easy to read, and when referencing a portfolio website or downloadable resume, should include the full link. Some companies have online forms on their websites that must be completed. Whatever the format, career seekers should be careful to read submission instructions thoroughly. Not following the instructions can show that an applicant isn't very detail oriented, or is unwilling to do things the way the employer wants them done.
- Well-timed - Even a well-thought-out, polished resume can be ineffective if there are no applicable opportunities available. Although most human resources departments keep resumes on file for one year, they may get lost in the shuffle of new resumes that come in. Submitting an updated resume once or twice can help, as well as one or two follow up calls, but what it really comes down to is numbers and timing. Factors that influence the decision to hire include the current status of the economy, the financial stability of the company, the number of qualified candidates in the market, how quickly the position needs to be filled, how well-established the role is within the company, the availability of all necessary parties in the hiring decision, politics and dynamics within the organization, and unique requirements for the specific position that are not included in the job description. It is also a common practice to advertise a position out of fairness, but in actuality a preferred candidate is already in mind to fill the role -- either because they may be a current or former employee within the company, or because the manager seeking to fill the position has a previous work or personal relationship with them. A candidate should not be discouraged if they carefully prepare their resume, and take time to screen and select opportunities that seem like really good leads, only to not get the desired response many times over.
- Readily available - Because timing plays a key role in hiring, career seekers who have a well-prepared resume ready to email or download right away in the desired format can beat other candidates to hot opportunities. Posting resumes on business-oriented social networking sites like Linked In, on personal websites dedicated specifically to qualifications and examples of work, and on carefully-selected websites for job seekers (the more specific to the desired industry, geographic location or position the better) make resumes keyword-searchable for employers who are actively searching for candidates. Fee-based services that deliver candidate resumes to prospective employers can really pay off as well.
- Empowering - Recruiters from staffing agencies and headhunters review resumes for their selling power. They take the resumes they receive to their clients and do their best to sell them on hand-picked candidates. Their goal is to find a good enough match that the hiring company chooses their candidate over others, and comes back the next time they have an opening. Effective resumes make their jobs easier.
- Accompanied by a brief cover note - Cover notes (which are favored over cover letters) are short, sweet and to the point.
Resources for Making Resumes More Effective
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