I’ve spoken to headhunters, recruiters, executives, and human resource directors enough to know that they are inundated with hundreds of resumes they ultimately toss. Unfortunately, “paperwork” is a psychological D O W N E R to even the most sophisticated professional. How many friends do you know who put this off and stall it on the backburner of life? We are not happy campers in these important yet real life office routine tasks of dealing with paperwork and hiring managers are no different. So just imagine the possibly overwhelmed hiring authority surrounded by heaps and mounds of daily paperwork and now they must also conquer DECIPHERING hundreds of resumes. Your resume is at a distinct disadvantage because your resume is not hand-delivered and marked for special attention. Those recruiters are going to skim your resume in 15 seconds and move on. Oh, how I ache for you if you are going to do this alone so I hope that this backdrop gives you pause to consider that your resume either makes or breaks your shot at getting interviews to advance your career. I would not recommend writing your own resume without assistance but if you do here is some helpful advice.
A first successful strategy is to think of your resume as a 7-course fine dining experience of your life story with 7 tidbits in which the recruiter will be feeding on: the Header and Objective are the Menu, Summary of Accomplishments is the Appetizer, Professional History with Dates are the Entrée, and finally, Education and Reference are the Dessert. Thus, you have provided a professional snapshot in 7 tidbits in an 8.5 x 11 inch page format. Like a savory 7-course meal, the 7-course resume must satisfy the diner or in this case the recruiter.
A second successful strategy that bolsters your resume is the crafting of very SPECIFIC keywords – keywords that mirror the job description and your field. Keywords can be likened to sound bites that will be captured by computer scanners. Recruiters or their scanners decipher which pile to toss YOUR resume to: the “YES PILE, MAYBE PILE, or NO PILE.” They digest these sound bites with an instant assessment as bites are keywords with CLOUT. Those resumes that make the grade are stocked with the right keywords like a delicious soup with hearty vegetables.
Well, there you have it- a concise recipe (formula) for your professional resume that delivers a powerful and quick one-two or in this case one–seven punch knocking your winning resume straight into the “YES” pile! Best wishes for a wonderful journey in both your career and personal life.
