As a marketer, I have always found that it is more difficult to market myself than it is to market a business or someone else. I don’t like describing who I am because it feels like bragging and I would rather let people discover my abilities for themselves. When I craft my resume, however, I am very aware that my resume is a marketing document and, like all good content, it must elicit interest and be persuasive.
The hiring process today is a bit of a free-for-all. There are numerous books, websites, workshops, and consultants who will tell you how to create a powerful resume despite the inherent uncertainties of a system that is in flux. In a time when there are more applicants than jobs in most fields and channels of communications are changing rapidly, job seekers try to adopt strategies that will give them an edge in the process in the same way that businesses in competitive industries must. Video resumes, stalking hiring managers online and in person, introductions from third parties, and other more extreme techniques become the recourse of desperate workers. Just don’t forget that, in the end, the content is more important than how the information is shared.
Even though there are no longer formatting standards for resumes, depending upon the industry, there may be practices that characterize insiders and distinguish them from newcomers. In addition, any grammatical, word usage, or punctuation error can brand you as incompetent. Because this document may be the only introduction the job search committee will have to you, it is important that you avoid unnecessary small mistakes that will remove you from consideration. Hiring managers are inundated with applications and often lack clear criteria for judging submissions so candidates struggle to read their minds
A generation ago it was more difficult to apply for jobs because resumes had to be typed and mailed. In another sense it was simpler for both parties, however, because formats were standardized and information was easier to evaluate (references were candid, for instance). Now, anything goes and information isn’t trustworthy.
My advice for improving your resume success:
- Forget the rules. Have faith in your own judgment. Get suggestions and feedback from your reliable friends and advisors, consider it objectively, and then make your best decision about what is appropriate for you.
- Before you do anything, as much as possible put yourself in the shoes of the hiring manager for the position. Imagine what you would want to know and would find persuasive if you were in his/her place.
- Remember that you are looking for your next great opportunity but the company is looking for a tried-and-true commodity. You must prove that you can, and have, successfully performed all the necessary functions of the role. You are interested in your new challenges but they are looking back to the past. Write your resume to meet their goals, not yours.
- Create an overview resume that has all the content you will ever include in a resume and then edit it to take out irrelevant information for specific jobs as you apply for them. Save each resume using your name, the position title, and date so they are easily searchable by the company HR employees.
- When you create the resume for a specific job put the job title at the top of the resume.
- Write the content so that it includes your key accomplishments including the problem, the solution, and the measurable outcomes that resulted. Quantifiable income increases, or savings as measured in percentages of income are essential. (example: “Reduced payment defaults by 20% through implementing more efficient processes, ongoing employee training, and reporting protocols.”)
- Make it readable. Use size 11 or larger font and use the same typeface throughout. Include 1” margins and enough whitespace. Do not worry about having too many pages but put the most attention-grabbing information close to the top on the first page.
- Ask your friends to review it and make suggestions. They know you and will bring fresh perspectives to the document. Listen, consider, and then act as appropriate.
- Remember that your resume will continually evolve as you change and time passes. You will never have a final document because you will continually be revamping the way you present yourself.
- If you do not get the call for an interview after you have submitted the resume, it probably is less about you and your qualifications than it is about the preconceptions of the screeners. Your track record over time can help you evaluate your resume, but the resume is only one factor. There are lots of variables than impact your success rates and many of them are outside of your control.
If you are not a skilled content developer (writer), you may want help in creating your resume but most people can do it themselves with sufficient time and attention. The more care you take the more effective it will be. Thoughtless errors, discrepancies, or oversights carry huge consequences. That is why getting help is such a good idea. Always remember that your resume is a marketing document intended to promote you (the product) to the company (the buyer).
The post Resumes are Marketing Documents appeared first on .