I recently received a flyer in the mail from a window cleaning service which caught my eye because my windows desperately need some overdue cleaning! The flyer included a company web address, so I decided to look them over to decide whether or not to call them for an estimate for the work.
I was pleasantly surprised by the information they provided; they had pictures of their work, beautiful homes and impressive office buildings, a website that was easy to navigate and well-organized, client testimonials that addressed the concerns they had taken care of, and seals of approval from rating agencies that verified their work.
They had me sold!
If you want to capture a prospective employer's attention with your résumé, you have to do the same thing. Think about it. Employers need to hire candidates that will do a great job for them, but they have no idea as to whether or not you can meet their expectations. The best way to convince them is to showcase your work experience and set out your past accomplishments so they can envision how you will do the same for them.
Here are 7 ways to market yourself as a great candidate that companies would LOVE to hire:
1) Write your résumé focused on a specific job target
The number one mistake people make when preparing a résumé is writing a generalized, generic résumé that they think can be used for a number of job positions. They believe they are qualified to do a number of jobs so they make sure they include all of their competencies, skills and background relating to many jobs. It is much more effective to decide first on the job position you want to target and then write the résumé highlighting your experience as it pertains to that job position. If you want to target more than one job then prepare more than one résumé.
2) Convey your brand
Your brand should tell the prospective employer what uniquely sets you apart from other candidates vying for the same position. One way to do this is to imagine yourself sitting in the reception area next to someone who has a similar background, experience, education, and qualifications as you do. Why should the prospective employer hire you instead of him or her?
3) Grab their attention with an outstanding summary statement
This is the most important part of the résumé and determines whether or not the hiring manager will keep reading. This is your opportunity to shine and sell yourself. If possible, summarize your career by setting out 3 or 4 of your most important qualifications and accomplishments.
4) Write about your accomplishments
Another BIG mistake that I see on "homemade" résumés is to set out a laundry list of responsibilities. It is much more impressive and will REALLY get the hiring manager's attention if you write about your accomplishments instead. Be sure to quantify those accomplishments whenever possible.
5) Make it clear, concise, and compelling
It is EXTREMELY tempting to make sure you cover every single important fact about your career history but surprisingly, not the most effective. It is not uncommon for people to write reams of wordy paragraphs and to make their résumé too long. A better strategy is to tell just enough to peak their interest. It should be readily apparent what you have done, easy to understand, and to the point.
6) Format your résumé for easy readability
If you're like me (and most people) you are not a fan of reading long, detailed instruction manuals - and yet that's the way many people write their résumés; tons of info, not a lot of white space on the page, small fonts to squeeze in all of that info... Now just imagine having to read those documents all day long! If you make your résumé easy to read, you will increase your chances of having your résumé read in the first place.
7) Use significant key words
Your résumé will very likely be scanned by 3 different audiences: computer databases, administrative personnel, and the actual hiring manager. In all three cases (especially the first two) it is important to include significant keywords that demonstrate that you possess the qualifications necessary to do the job. You wouldn't want your résumé to get lost among hundreds of others just because it wasn't immediately apparent that you had the background, skills, and competencies they were looking for!
If you follow the above guidelines for writing a GREAT résumé, you, too will have them sold!
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Want to have a professionally written résumé that “sells” you to prospective employers?
Contact Donna@CACoaching.com for a free evaluation of your current résumé.
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