For many job applicants, one of the most challenging tasks you’ll soon embark upon during your job search process is creating a resume. After all, it will most likely be the information on one single- sided sheet of 81⁄2-by-11-inch sheet of paper that will determine whether or not an employer has any interest in inviting you to come in for an interview. On one sheet of paper, you have to concisely summarize, using examples, all of the reasons why a potential employer should hire you.
Every potential employer that evaluates your resume will have a series of questions they’ll want instant answers to as they read your resume. The primary goal of your resume is to answer the employer’s questions quickly.
When any human resources (HR) professional or potential employer reads your resume, answers to the following questions need to be obvious:
When a potential employer reads your resume, it needs to shout out, “Hire me!” not “File me!” Creating a powerful resume is a challenging process that takes time, planning, much thought, and the willingness to make revisions until you have created what you believe to be the perfect document.
Anytime a company markets an expensive product, such as a major appliance, a computer system, a car or some other type of machine, one of the first steps for getting a customer interested in that product is to provide a brochure that lists the product’s unique benefits and features. The sales brochure is designed to get the customer excited about the product before they actually get to see it firsthand. When it comes to landing a job, your resume is the brochure you’ll be using to market yourself. Your resume must get the potential employer interested enough in you so that you’ll get invited in for that all-important interview. From that point on, your chances of landing the job rely on your ability to sell yourself in person, but more on that later.
Every potential employer that evaluates your resume will have a series of questions they’ll want instant answers to as they read your resume. The primary goal of your resume is to answer the employer’s questions quickly.
When any human resources (HR) professional or potential employer reads your resume, answers to the following questions need to be obvious:
- Who are you?
- What position are you applying for?
- What are your skills and qualifications?
- What work experience do you have that directly relates to the job you’re applying for?
- Are you worth the salary the job pays? .
- What will be your worth to the employer if you get hired?
- What will you bring to the company that other applicants can’t or won’t?
- Will hiring you benefit the company in the short term and long term?
- If you get hired, will you be able to help the employer solve the problems or challenges it’s currently facing?
- What sets you apart from all of the other applicants?
When a potential employer reads your resume, it needs to shout out, “Hire me!” not “File me!” Creating a powerful resume is a challenging process that takes time, planning, much thought, and the willingness to make revisions until you have created what you believe to be the perfect document.
Anytime a company markets an expensive product, such as a major appliance, a computer system, a car or some other type of machine, one of the first steps for getting a customer interested in that product is to provide a brochure that lists the product’s unique benefits and features. The sales brochure is designed to get the customer excited about the product before they actually get to see it firsthand. When it comes to landing a job, your resume is the brochure you’ll be using to market yourself. Your resume must get the potential employer interested enough in you so that you’ll get invited in for that all-important interview. From that point on, your chances of landing the job rely on your ability to sell yourself in person, but more on that later.
