Blue Print For Your Future

Job search is complex today and there is a lot of competition for employment.  The process can be drawn out and resume’s are not just an added thought, they are absolutely needed if you want to land a job.

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You need to develop good job search methods and the internet is at the center.  Online search sites are very useful.  Recruiters, company hiring managers and human resources professionals are all components in your job search, but it is the resume’s job to land interviews.

Remembering that resumes are actually marketing pieces designed to sell you to potential employers, aggressive resumes are NOT simply a listing of your work experience or your biography (life on paper).

What Makes A “Winning” Resume?

Your resume should go out with a cover letter and the two of them are your agents that present you to perspective employers.  They need to sell you to your perspective employer such that he will call you to arrange an interview.

Most resumes rate a scan and gets put aside or tossed in the trash.  Yours needs to stand out, both the resume and cover letter must each do their part.

So let’s examine some ways to write aggressive, up-to-the-minute resumes that really SELL you.

OBJECTIVES

There are lots of opinions about whether or not to use an objective, or just how to do so, if one IS used. The only “given” about the use of an objective, is definitely NOT to use one on senior level resumes. A CEO, CFO, COO or other executive’s resume actually looks/reads silly when an objective is used. But for the mid-level or entry-level candidate, an objective can be useful. Here are a few ways to incorporate the concept into a resume…for a very targeted client who knows exactly what she/he wants:

BUYER…PURCHASING MANAGER…PROCUREMENT AGENT

or, for someone seeking to remain in their career pattern: EXPERIENCED COST ACCOUNTANT seeks a position with a progressive organization that will utilize a successful career to meet/exceed company goals.

or, for a client who has several fields she/he want to pursue: Results-oriented manager seeks a position with advancement opportunities; areas of interest include retail, electronics and communications technology.

or, if someone wants to change careers: AGGRESSIVE individual seeks a career in sales utilizing strong interpersonal skills to penetrate untapped markets and build a loyal client base.

What you’ll notice in the above cases, is what’s stressed in the objective: the BENEFIT the COMPANY will receive if they hire the candidate. What is not stated is what YOU want. Companies don’t care what you want – they want to know what you can do for THEM.

A flaw in writing objectives, is that they sometimes just say the same thing that 78+ other resumes sitting on the hiring authority’s desk state: Seeking a challenging position that will utilize my skills in editing, proofreading and copy writing.

Oh, that’s exciting…makes you just want to jump to the phone and give that person a call, doesn’t it? Stating that the person is seeking a challenging position is ridiculous. Would you ever state that you were seeking a boring position? Of course not – so don’t state the obvious – it’s a cliché.

REFERENCES PROVIDED UPON REQUEST

Using this phrase at the end of the resume is archaic. It’s a given (talk about a cliché!), and contemporary resumes omit this. The better approach is to generate a prepared Professional Reference sheet which you can bring with you on interviews and leave with the interviewer when references are requested.

RESPONSIBLE

This word is often so over-used in a resume, that at GetInterviews.com, we never use it. Recruiters employed at retainer-only search firms have told me that the word “responsible” signifies mid-management and below, not executive-level candidates. Personally, I believe the word “responsible” is actually useless in a resume. Instead of writing, “Responsible for all departmental functions including accounts payable/receivable, payroll and invoicing…” I would suggest to use an action word that best depicts what that person actually does – for example, “Perform all departmental functions, including…” or “Oversee all departmental functions, including…” or “Review all departmental functions, including…” See what I mean? “Responsible” doesn’t really SAY anything, it doesn’t give a clear indication of what you actually do. Do you perform the functions or direct them? “Responsible” is too vague to say which.

MY, MINE, THIS, I

Using words like this in the resume indicates you are writing in a narrative voice, as if you are having an actual conversation, a dialogue with the reader. This is not the case: you are presenting your achievements, skills and credentials to a potential employer. My suggestion would be to keep the resume more business-like, more professional. In descriptions, the word “a” could be substituted for the word “this,” as in: “Promoted to a $30 million division of an international widget manufacturer to expand sales into untapped markets” as opposed to “Promoted to this $30 million division….”

ALSO

I have seen this word used when describing daily functions: “Control and administer annual budgets totaling $12 million. Also, interface with vendors to negotiate more favorable terms and gain higher profits.” Again, the “also” is a dialogue word, and quite unnecessary. In writing resumes, it is best to do what my Creative Writing professor called “tight writing.” That is, to eliminate as many “an’s, the’s, also’s, a’s,” etc., as possible. They typically aren’t necessary and can be cut from the resume without loss of meaning.

NUMBERS

Contrary to the rules of grammar, EXCEPT for academic resumes, it is best to use numerals in a resume rather than spell out the number, even when that number is 10 or under. I know that grammatically, we are taught to spell out numbers like three, five, seven, etc., and write 12, 14, 16, etc. The numerical version, however, jumps off a page, whereas the spelled out version often gets lost. Because resumes are often only scanned by the reader 15-20 seconds, the actual use of numbers helps to capture the readers’ attention – they are drawn to the numbers, which means they are spending more time looking at and reading your resume – and that’s a GOOD thing! I made the reference above to academic resumes, because teachers, principals and superintendents are very sensitive to grammatical rules, even in resumes. It’s best to spell out any number under 10 for these types of resumes. I would never recommend, however, that the words “percentage” or “dollar” be used (“30 percent” or “12 million dollars”) – instead, use the symbol, as in 30% or $12 million.

EDUCATION VS. EXPERIENCE

Knowing when to highlight someone’s education vs. experience is important. With certain fields (teaching, for example), the general preference is to lead off the resume with the client’s credentials and educational background, even if they have considerable experience. Recent college grads should also have their education first, as it is typically their greatest achievement. However, someone who returned to college (part time nights, for example), while concurrently employed full time for the past 9 years as a travel agent, should have their resume lead off with their experience, and NOT emphasize they just obtained their Bachelors degree. They are not entry-level candidates – their experience is more vital to a company than their education. Remember that all resumes do NOT have to lead off with the client’s education.

PAST / PRESENT TENSE

Writing in the present tense is always more aggressive than writing in the past tense. Verbs in past tense are in a passive voice, so whenever feasible, write in the present tense. Obviously, if you are still employed, your current job listing is written in the present tense (manage, direct, supervise, control, etc).

PICTURES

Unless you are an actor or model, do not include a picture of yourself under any circumstances. Companies these days are so concerned about EEO lawsuits, discriminatory cases and the like, that at best, they will immediately throw out the picture, or at worst, possibly throw away the entire resume, especially if the picture is printed into the resume. I can guarantee you recruiting firms are highly sensitive to this, as well.

GRAPHICS

Be careful not to make your resumes “too cute.” Remember, companies see you as an INVESTMENT – they are spending x amount of dollars to obtain you (salary), and want to see a return on their investment. It is a business negotiation. If the resume appears too “decorative” or distracting because of cute clip art images or overly decorative paper, you may be dismissed and the resume tossed.

PERSONAL INFO

Marital status, date of birth, health, hobbies, etc., are not relevant on a resume these days.

Remember, you aren’t writing your biography, you are marketing yourself on paper: why does the employer want to hire YOU above all others, especially when there are 91+ resumes from equally qualified candidates sitting on that decision-maker’s desk? Answer that question in the resume, and you will have written a tight, solid, results-oriented resume…in short, a winning, aggressive resume, and the sort of resume that is vital for today’s job search – and that of the next millennium.

We’ll deal more with the all important cover letter in another post here at BluePrintForYourFuture.

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