Ten Ways to Avoid Your Resume Getting Tossed |
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Writing resumes is tough and time-consuming. Not to mention that you have to rework and update it whenever you move around in the employment arena. You also have to proofread it and make sure your facts all line up (no lying!). And then there’s the fact that hiring managers usually just glance over your “blood and sweat” resume within less than a minute and choose to toss it. Well, no more! Here are ten ways to avoid your resume getting dumped yet again. 1. Spend the time writing a cover letter. You may think you can cash in on your resume alone, but you are wrong. Some managers won’t even acknowledge resumes that are cover letter-less. So make the effort to write it and write it well. In your own words, tell why you are interested in the job and why you are the best candidate for the position. Be clear, be concise, and expand on all of the relevant skills and experiences your reader needs to know about you. 2. Have you seen Legally Blonde? Yeah, don’t do that. Pink and scented resumes are funny in the movies, but not in real life. You want your resume to look professional, not cute or font-flashy. Use standard white or cream-colored paper, black type, and a standard font like Times New Roman. 3. Update it and make it relevant to this job. Your resume should be no longer than two pages, preferably limited to just one page. So only add information and employment history that the hiring manager will care about. Remember, you are trying to sell yourself. 4. Your resume needs to have the right priorities. Write about your contributions and successes in previous companies, not just your job duties. Everyone has job duties, but not everyone handles their responsibilities well. You don’t want to just talk about the past. You want to make it relevant to this interview opportunity and to the future you have with this company. Again, everything about your resume should scream, “These are my skills and experiences that I’m offering.” The same goes for your objective and skills summary section. This isn’t about asking for a job. This is about why they should want you. 6. Personalize your resume Generic resumes are never as effective as resumes specifically geared toward a particular company. Fine-tune your resume to approach the company of your choice based on what they want in an employee. 7. Don’t lie! Even with “little white lies” like altering your dates of employment or exaggerating your job title in previous employment, you are going to get in trouble. Maybe not “jail” trouble, but it will get your resume tossed. There are people who spend their time trying to make lies believable and then there are people who are smart enough to see the benefit of just telling the truth. Be in that second group, please. You don’t want negativity glaring up at your reader. So mention bad reasons for leaving a previous job only if you absolutely have to (which should be never). You need to look at your resume from your potential employer’s perspective as best as you can. What information on your resume is irrelevant to them? What is missing that needs to be added? By knowing what the hiring manager of that specific company is looking for, you will have the opportunity to see the resume through his or her eyes and make it sharper. Why is #10 in all caps? Because so many people neglect to proof-read and edit their resume, when it is so simple and so obviously important. Nothing says “unprofessional and lazy” like a resume coming in with errors and poor grammar. So do a Santa Claus and check it once, check it twice. |