Does Your Resume Sell You?
Will your resume get you an interview or be dumped in the round
file? Your resume must provide enough information to tweak the
interest of the potential employer Here are some tips for
preparing your resume:
One page or Two Page? Employers are busy people with very little
time to read your resume, but don't sell yourself short by
condensing your resume too much. If it takes two pages to tell
your full story, use them. But be sure to make every word count.
Use an Objective? Not necessary. Your resume should tell the
story of who you are, not what you want from the employer -
rather, what you have to offer. You also want to set your
intention for the next job by telling why you are a good hire
for the position.
Details? Yes, but only to the extent that the details
demonstrate your accomplishments. You can use abbreviated
language and make sure you "tell the story" through your
results. Just telling what your responsibilities are will NOT
get you the interview. You have to convince the hiring manager
that you can get results.
Mass mailing? Never. You really should try to personalize the
cover letter for each employer. Try to talk to the potential
employer first so you can find out what is important to
highlight. If you just send your resume to every company you can
think of, you are wasting your time. And speaking of wasting
your time, don't make the job boards your ONLY networking tool.
You are competing against thousands of folks for those jobs, so
it's best not to rely on them as your only mechanism for finding
work.