Writing a resume that secures a job interview
The art of writing a resume that will guarantee an interview is the mix of being an incredible salesperson blended with humility and truth that entices.
Many people who write resumes believe that their curriculum vitae should be enough to capture the imagination of their prospective employer by listing every past experience as though it were a shopping list. In fact, I've actually read shopping lists that have excited me much more than some people's resumes.
The idea behind writing a resume is passing on a window into your life to a prospective employer. That window is very small and the employer must walk through hundreds of windows before they short-list a group to interview. Just like window-shopping, there will be a few windows that will entice the customer into the store. There will be others that promised much but on closer inspection the window was found wanting and the customer moved on.
Your resume will do the same thing. Either it will grab the employer's attention and tempt them to read further or it will be confined to the return pile.
Ring Lardner, an American journalist once said, "A good many young writers make the mistake of enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope, big enough for the manuscript to come back in. This is too much of a temptation to the editor."
The goal is ensuring your resume stays on the top of the pile and secures an interview for that perfect job.
Here are 5 tips for writing a resume that will guarantee you get noticed and secure a job interview.
- Be creative (without lying) Put your "I'm-the-employer-reading-this-resume" hat on and start to jot down some ideas that you think you would like to see in a resume.
Obviously, the usual information such as personal details, past career history, awards and written references from previous employers are required. But there is no rule that says that information has to be served up in a monotone dot-point list. Tell a story, include good quality pertinent photos (clipart is a big "No-No"), use captions and paragraph extracts to entice the employer further into your curriculum vitae.
If you're a recent mother and have been out of the workforce for a couple of years don't skip over this. Name it and claim it. Tell your prospective employer what you learnt through that experience and how that will be beneficial to your employment with that firm.
Never write your resume with an attitude of "I-have-only-done-this." Write it as though your were hoping to make it to the front page of the New York Times.
Think outside of the box and develop your dot-point list to tell engaging stories.
- Formatting and design layout that tempts Take a tour through some online websites noting which ones capture your attention. Those that have gaudy colour schemes, multiple fonts and flashing animated .gif's are probably the ones send you away rather than retain your time.
Other sites which appear seamless that compliment colour, font style and size, graphics and content layout are more likely to keep your interest. Websites are modern day shop windows and you only enter that 'shop' if the window entices you in.
The same applies for your resume. Think of yourself as the shop and the employer as the shopper. Her biases towards your resume will go far deeper than just the front cover. It will extend to paper choice, font style, how the resume is bound and design layout. This 'shopper' already knows what they're looking for - they just want to find it.
- Include more than just previous employment tell them about your latest trip to Kathmandu and what you got out of it. Tell them about a personal struggle that you overcame and how it's shaped you for the future.
Obviously, this information must be concise. A future employer isn't keen on reading a novel by an unknown author so your stories must be succinct. Include one or two at the most and keep them to no more than a short paragraph. Use a title for your experience that grabs the employer's attention like; "How frostbite renewed my passion for life" or something that truly headlines your experience.
- Tell them about you – don’t just fill in a questionnaire Many resumes that I've seen work like this;
Hobbies: Gardening, tennis, bird-watching, kayaking.
While this may seem like an impressive list to you when writing your resume it casts the employers mind into the realm of unknown abilities. If you garden, tell the employer how active you are as a gardener noting your current projects. If tennis is a sport you play as member of a club that plays pennants each Wednesday night then tell them that. Explain why tennis is part of your life and is so important as a hobby to you.
What do you mean by mentioning kayaking? Do you enjoy watching it or doing it yourself? Is it a pastime that secures a weekend every year or do you train on a daily basis? All these little insights build a picture into the employer's mind. The important thing is that you want to be the one building the picture. Don't leave it up to chance.
- Explain your life goals What?...You don't have any life goals? You're hoping to secure your dream job and you don't have any life goals?
Why did you want this job in the first place? Is it part of a bigger plan? Do you hope to see it take you somewhere or are you planning to turn it into the dead-end job you left within 3 months?
If you haven't formally written out your life goals then now would be a good time to start. Your employer wants to know what they're investing in and where they will fit into the picture. This question will surface in the interview anyway, if you secure one, so it's better to put this on the table prior to it. Outline where you are heading and what you're hoping to achieve via this opportunity.
Remember, your resume is just a little window to your life. Just explain the facts and they will undoubtedly pass you by. Dress the window with some creativity and you will surely secure a job interview.
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Comments
You may find the book by Jim Bright and Joanne Earl entitled "Resumes that get shortlisted" published by Allen&Unwin helpful in setting up your resume - especially to Australian standards.
Posted by: Marco - Stock Trading | August 3, 2006 9:43 PM