Monday, June 11, 2012

How To Win Attention In A Crowded Job Market: 7 Tips To Make Your Resume Stand Out

"Good enough" attempts are not "good enough" when it comes to your resume. You have one opportunity to make a perfect first impression in a job market that's overwhelmed with suitable candidates. Your resume must wow the reader, grasp attention, and impel the employer to pick up the phone and call you. Any less and you may miss out on the uncommon, ideal career opportunity. To help you, here are seven trade secrets that professional resume writers use to help craft a resume that is irresistible to employers.

1. Write a resume with the ideal job in the forefront of your thoughts.

This is not the time to be generic or broad, as an unfocused resume makes you seem as if you don't even know what you want and promptly loses the attention of the recipient. Be confident and write a resume that explains how you are the best candidate for your ideal job. Don't waste the 15 seconds that you have to get your essential points across, or you will be passed over.

2. Summarize your credentials with the focus on the employer.

Don't just use an unfashionable, self-serving objective statement. Write a profile section that tells the reader what you offer to them. This component of the resume is "above the fold" and all the most applicable and attention-grabbing details should be here at first glimpse. Feature your most riveting and relevant qualifications and fill the summary with examples that show the recipient you have the ability to add value, rather than just telling them. Prominently communicate how will provide that extra value to the organization and how you have the capacity to do so in a way that sets you apart from other job candidates.

4. Put accent on achievements throughout the resume.

Don't highlight everyday job responsibilities, as these don't represent how you really performed and provided value and benefits for the company. Instead, highlight how you provided that value by preparing an achievement-focused resume, to make evident your future potential. Accomplishments are in many cases related to how you fixed a problem, how you rose above a challenging circumstance, how you made money, how you save money, or how you heightened efficiency.

3. Provide proof that you will deliver value and benefits.

An achievement is exceptional, but it is only a component of the story. You should also identify how that accomplishment added value in some specific way. Did it make more money, save time, or did it help in productivity? Use numbers to describe your results whenever possible.

5. Produce a standout design.

Steer away from employing a template when you produce your resume and create a tailored design that helps to accentuate the unique aspects in your background. Don't go for an ineffective "one size fits all" approach. Your goal is to stand out. Not to blend by using a resume that looks like 99 % of the resumes that are out there.

6. Prioritize and emphasize your most relevant experience.

It's common to go back about 10 to 20 years and no more. But the real key is to bear in mind you are creating a marketing document and not an autobiography. It is completely allowed to omit inconsequential data and experiences and to structure your resume so that it strategically plays up the most relevant and impressive qualifications you offer.

7. Respect the prevailing best standards and practices.

Remember that standards, expectations, formats and styles change over time. The old resume format you were shown in college 10 years ago is likely no longer up to date and adequate. Do your research or seek the advice of a professional to make certain that your resume format is up to date.

After reading these tips, if you still feel that you would benefit from help to improve your resume seriously consider consulting a professional resume writer. This is an investment that will pay you back many fold, by dramatically cutting down the time it takes you to search for the job, by putting you in a position to get the job that you always wanted, and by furnishing you with a framework to negotiate great compensation.


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Michelle Dumas runs of one of the longest-standing and most respected professional resume writing firms on the internet. Since 1996, Michelle and her team have empowered thousands of professionals with resumes that get results and win jobs fast. Get insider resume writing tips, example resumes, and more articles like this one at her website. Go now to http://www.distinctiveweb.com


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