|
HOW TO KNOCK THE
SOCKS OFF THE PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER
Research has shown that only one interview is granted for every 200 resumes
received by the average employer. Research also tells us that your resume
will be quickly scanned, rather than read. 10 to 20 seconds is all the time
you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. What this means
is that the decision to interview a candidate is usually based on an overall
first impression of the resume, a quick screening which so impresses the
reader and convinces them of the candidate's qualifications that an
interview results. As a result, the top half of the first page of your
resume will either make you or break you. By the time they have read the
first few lines, you have either caught their interest, or your resume has
failed. That is why we say that your resume is an ad. You hope it will have
the same result as a well-written ad: to get the reader to respond.
To write an effective resume, you have to learn how to write powerful, but
subtle advertising copy. Not only that, but you must sell a product in which
you have large personal investment: you. What's worse, given the fact that
most of us do not think in a marketing-oriented way naturally, you are
probably not looking forward to selling anything, let alone yourself. But,
if you want to increase your job hunting effectiveness as much as possible,
you would be wise to learn to write a spectacular resume. You do not need to
hard sell or make any claims that are not absolutely true. You do need to
get over your modesty and unwillingness to toot your own horn. People more
often buy the best advertised product than they buy the best product. That
is good news if you are willing to learn to create an excellent resume. With
a little extra effort, you will find that you will usually get a better
response from prospective employers than people with better credentials.
FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYER'S NEEDS, NOT YOURS
Imagine that you are the person who will be doing the hiring. This person is
not some anonymous paper pusher deep in the bowels of the personnel
department. Usually, the person who makes the hiring decision is also the
person who is responsible for the bottom line productivity of the project or
group you hope to be a part of. This is a person who cares deeply how well
the job will be done. You need to write your resume to appeal directly to
them. Ask yourself: What would make someone the perfect candidate? What
special abilities would this person have? What would set a truly exceptional
candidate apart from a merely good one? What does the employer really want?
If you are seeking a job in a field you know well, you probably already know
what would make someone a superior candidate. If you are not sure, you can
gather hints from the help wanted ad you are answering, from asking other
people who work in the same company or the same field. You could even call
the prospective employer and ask them what they want. Don't make wild
guesses unless you have to. It is very important to do this step well. If
you are not addressing their real needs, they will not respond to your
resume. If you feel slightly lost at sea in doing this sort of research,
watch some old Rockford Files reruns to learn from the master how to do this
kind of creative research. Putting yourself in the moccasins of the person
doing the hiring is the first, and most important step in writing a resume
that markets you rather than describes your history or herstory. Every step
in producing a finished document should be part of your overall intention to
convey to the prospective employer that you are a truly exceptional
candidate.
Continue
|
