By Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter
It seems so simple, doesn’t it? After all, who better knows where you’ve been and what you’ve done than you? Open up your Word file and dump all that information into a pleasing format, forward it to a prospective employer or two, then sit back and wait for the phone to ring.
Before you hit “send” on your resume, there are a few things you may want to consider, or you may be waiting a very long time.
1. Ask: “Would I Hire Me?”
First, take a hard look at the document you’ve created and ask yourself this question: “Would I hire this person?” Before you answer, remember, there is a very good chance you are not the only person applying for this position. With that in mind, repeat the question. If your answer is anything other than a resounding “Yes,” you may want to hold off hitting that send button.
2. Be the Red Balloon in a Field of Yellow Ones
The resume is so much more than just a “data dump,” if you will, yet it is treated thusly all too often. This happens much to the chagrin of the sender as well as the recipient.
It is vital to the success of this document that it sets you apart from the competition. You are likely rivaling candidates whose qualifications are similar to your own. So, you must be the red balloon in the field of yellow ones if you want to get noticed.
Give the reader something to get excited about that can’t be duplicated on any other resume they may encounter. It simply does not matter that you spent X years in X position and accomplished X goals during your tenure. Your competition has probably done similar things. While this information is important, don’t stop there. Dig a little deeper to mine the career gold that only you possess.
Were the goals you reached achievable by anyone who may have held that position? Or, is there something unique about the way you go about getting things done that gave life to them? Did you have a differentiating way of coalescing disparate teams, shortening processes or clarifying complexity? Did your distinctive voice offer a value-add that set you apart from peers?
For the remaining three tips on how to exploit your uniqueness to take your resume from “blah” to “wow,” please visit my latest Glassdoor post, HERE.
Leave a Reply