3 Resume Secrets the Pros Use
You don't write a resume every day. Not even every month or year, most likely. So you can't be expected to do it flawlessly every time, right? After all, you're not a professional.
Well, I am.
My team and I have written or edited nearly 5,000 resumes over the past nine years. And there are a handful of secrets we use to get the job done, and get our clients hired.
Now, for the first time, I'd like to share with you three of my proven methods for writing a resume that gets results. Fast.
Here they are ...
1) Focus on One Specific Job
I can't tell you how many times I've heard job seekers say, "I want a resume I can use to apply for many jobs, like Project Manager, IT Manager and HR Manager, for example."
My response: You can't.
Writing a resume that tries to be all things to all employers is like trying to ride a horse in all directions at once. You'll get nowhere fast.
Before writing one word of your resume, it's essential that you first choose one job title or function, such as project management. Then aim your resume in that direction. Every sentence in your resume should try to convince employers that you are the person to hire for that one job.
But never more than one. Because you'll only end up confusing readers with a "one-size-fits-all" resume. And a confused mind will always say no. Which can spell doom for your job search.
2) Use a "Skill Skeleton"
Once you tailor your resume with one job in mind, try to focus further and come up with a short list of skills to build the entire document around. I refer to this as a "skill skeleton."
Let me explain.
You may be an awesome project manager, for example. But what are the three or four skills that make you so special? Is it your ability to finish projects early and under budget? Your skill at leading others? A knack for negotiating the lowest prices with vendors?
These areas of expertise make up your "skill skeleton." Try to make them a recurring theme throughout your resume. Emphasize them again and again when describing your success stories on the job and in school.
Using a "skill skeleton" like this will force you to focus on a core message that's compelling and easy for employers to remember. And, of course, it should make the phone ring with job offers!
3) Be Truthful AND Believable
You already know you must be 100% truthful in your resume -- your GPA, actual degrees from actual schools, accurate dates, etc. That's basic stuff.
But it's not enough for YOU to believe what you're saying. The employer has to believe it, too. To encourage that, back up the claims in your resume any way you can, using specific numbers, dollars, percentages and dates.
Here are some wrong and right ways to make your resume more believable ...
WRONG "Many years of experience"
RIGHT "Seven years of award-winning experience"
WRONG "Saved time and money"
RIGHT "Saved $437,450 and reduced cycle time by 23 days"
See the difference?
Specific facts and figures are more believable than generalizations. Always. Every time.
For best results, get written documentation for all of your claims, then bring these documents to the interview, where you can expand on points of interest in your resume face-to-face with a hiring manager.
Now go out and make your own luck!
Kevin Donlin is President of Guaranteed Resumes. Since 1996, he and his team have provided resumes, cover letters and online job-search assistance to clients in all 50 states and 23 countries. Kevin has been interviewed by USA Today, CBS MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal's National Business Employment Weekly, CBS Radio, and many others.
As a reader of this publication, you're eligible for a special offer. Get your Free Job Search Kit ($25.00 value) at the Guaranteed Resumes Web site - http://www.gresumes.com
Related Articles:
What Should You Know When Applying for Sports Jobs?
Because of the booming demand for sports events in the world, the sports industry presently offers more than 5 million positions for employment. Not all those positions have been filled to date, so maybe you should apply for at least one of those sports jobs.
Agricultural Jobs - Changing Opportunities
Agriculture has always been a very integral part in American history. The first settlers to come over to America needed to become good farmers in order to survive. The agriculture industry has grown by leaps and bounds since that time, and now the agricultural job market can be very rewarding. Many of the new agricultural jobs available these days deal with the new types of technology that are required to produce the crops that America demands. The days of a family working their land by hand and producing a small amount of crops is over. Now many large plantations are run by huge corporations that capitalize on many of the new emerging technologies to harvest a larger amount of crops in a shorter period of time. If you would like to get one...
PreVisor’s Pre-employment Assessment Research Recognized at the 2007 Association of Test Publisher’s “Innovations in Testing”
PreVisor’s Computer Adapative Testing Research for pre-employment assessment is recognized at the 2007 Association of Test Publisher’s “Innovations in Testing” Conference, providing further testament to the industry thought leadership of PreVisor’s team of industrial-organizational scientists. This outstanding research and development work is the foundation on which PreVisor is building its “next generation” of computer adaptive testing capabilities. PreVisor’s new CAT technology will provide the most valid and predictive measure of a candidate’s skills available on the market.
Quality Staffing: Stop Placing the Wrong People in the Wrong Jobs
You can possibly teach a turkey to climb a tree – but it is a lot easier to hire a squirrel. Quality staffing means selecting the right people with the right skills for the right jobs and at the right time.
The Wine Space Founders Recently Noticed That There Were Limited Places On The Internet To Find Wine Related Employment
The Wine Space founders recently noticed that there were limited places on the internet to find wine related employment. Their research was done by reading other wine news on the internet and listening to what the wine space members were saying. "There is a need for a central station if you will, for employment that is specific to the wine industry," said Ron and KD, founders, thewinespace.com.
Jobs in Glasgow Financial Services Sector Booming, Reports Joslin Rowe
Joslin Rowe reports Glaswegian professionals are spoilt for choice as the number of opportunities rises dramatically across financial services firms based in the City.
Know More About Temporary Employment Agreement
You have to work in order to survive. Your survival is ensured by whatever you earn form working. There are different types of jobs that you can opt for (provided you are qualified to serve the role demanded out of you). Once you decide to take up a job, you are required to sign an agreement. Whether it is a permanent job or a temporary one, there are certain rules and regulations of the company that you are supposed to follow as one of their temp employees. When you apply for a temporary job then you have to sign a temporary employee agreement. Every person who joins as a temporary employee has to sign this agreement.
Finding Construction Jobs Off the Beaten Path
Construction professionals of all experience levels need to think about their long term career goals when they look for the right employer. Construction jobs with commercial firms and manufacturers offer the greatest job security but may lack the daily challenges needed by creative professionals. The growth of construction job sites and other online resources has made it all too easy to find construction jobs in traditional fields. Applicants looking for something off the beaten path can look at a few growth industries in the UK and Europe as they continue their job hunt.
MonsterTRAK Reveals Top Five Industries for Entry-Level Job Employment: Financial Services; Sales and Marketing; and Architecture and
As summer comes to a close and recent 2007 graduates embark on the working world in lieu of returning to campus, employers nationwide are opening their doors and inviting workers to apply for their first jobs. Where will they find the most opportunities this fall? And how should current students prepare to take advantage of the most plentiful positions down the road? After monitoring online job demand across several industries, over the last year, MonsterTRAK today announced the top five industries for entry-level workers. MonsterTRAK is the student division of Monster(R), the leading global online careers and recruitment resource, and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST).
Ten Tips to a Powerful Resume
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission.
Auto-Disqualification - When Your Resume Never Reaches the Decision Maker
How would you know if your resume did or didn't reach the appropriate decision maker? You can truly never know for certain. However, there are steps you can take to ensure that your resume does not get "auto-disqualified", or provide obvious reasons not to be hired.
At Home Telemarketing Jobs - Tips For Getting Hired
Even though more and more companies are hiring employees to work from home, the competition for these jobs can be fierce. Companies that offer work at home telemarketing positions usually have strict criteria when choosing the right candidates. In order to qualify for one of these positions, you will need to demonstrate more than just a willingness or eagerness to work from home.
Hottest Thing In Golf Employment Today ? Being A Golf Teacher
If you want to get involved in the game of golf, there are several ways to do it. Most people love to play the game during their free time. Others, however, love golf enough to want to make a career out of it. While lots of people are able to make a living by hitting straight drives, sinking long pressure putts, and posting low scores in the clubhouse, not everyone is blessed with that type of talent. Still, you do not have to be extraordinarily talented to get involved in the golf industry. One of the most popular and most rewarding forms of golf employment is the job of being a golf teacher. By having a great understanding of the fundamentals of the golf swing and a passion to teach others, you can be a great candidate to have awesome gol...
Considering The Changing Face of Employment
Employment search is just one of the many duties that comes with adult life. Employment is considered to be an agreement between two parties, one being the employee and the other the employer. An employee could be looked upon as someone in the service of another under any contract of hire, be it express or implied, oral or written, where the employer has the right to control and direct the employee in details of how the job is to be carried out. Based on the numerous factors affecting the job market at a given time, it is difficult to predetermine how hard or easy a job search will be. While some careers stay in demand others may face an overflow, making it difficult to find employment in one's chosen field. In the past, most people used to...
100% No Doc Loans Requiring No Income, No Asset, and No Employment Verification, Now Available With Interest-Only Mortgages
Katz Mortgage Team, www.katzmortgageteam.com/about.html, of Amtrust Mortgage Corporation, is pleased to offer 100% No Documentation mortgage programs, also known as "No Doc Loans," requiring no income, asset or employment verification.