Microsoft Resume Template

Resume Rules Meant To Be Broken

Have you ever wondered what happens to your resume after a prospective employer receives it? It used to be that someone ? a human ? would sift through all the resumes, scanning for keywords and relevant experience. In today?s job hunting world, that human has, in many cases, been replaced by a computer. That?s right. The finely crafted resume you worked so hard to make impressive, is casually dismissed by?.a software package. The fact that human eyes never actually read your resume or the cover letter you agonized over is simply the reality of the digital era.

So, what?s a job hunter need to do to get noticed? Well, it?s important to let go of old ?rules? that will do you a disservice in today?s job hunting world. The first of these is?

?Your resume should be no longer than two pages.?

This is probably the hardest rule to overcome, because it?s been ingrained in our psyches for decades. Yet, distilling your work life history down to two pages or less means you may be leaving out important details that could garner you a coveted interview.

?Dan? had been the Vice President of Corporate Affairs at a large multibillion-dollar manufacturing company with operations in several states. Unfortunately for Dan, a larger company acquired his, and he?s now looking for new employment. He has emailed his resume to several promising opportunities but hasn?t gotten anywhere close to the response he?d been hoping for. And now he?s beginning to think there?s a problem with his less than two-page long resume.

A quick glance at his resume is enough to spot the problem. It looks like an airline itinerary with titles, dates and locations of previous jobs ? but scarce information on the increasing value he brought to each position. As he resisted the suggestion that a longer resume might help his job hunting chances, he invoked an all-too familiar lament, ?I talked to a headhunter?.? Headhunters, who prefer to be called Executive Recruiters, do live in a world where shorter is better in terms of resumes. This is because the recruiter acts as your personal sales force, pitching you to potential employers. A full-blown resume would get in the way of their sales pitch. So, by all means, have a Cliff Notes version of your career available for recruiters, but also have a fully developed resume handy for everyone else.

The second ?rule? to break is?

?Just the Facts, Ma?am.?

By all means, your resume should be factual and not fanciful. But sticking to only the dates, locations, titles and tasks of your previous positions won?t sell you as a well-rounded employee. The key to a successful resume is Value. What Value did you bring to each of your jobs? A compelling resume must include this all-important ingredient other wise you won?t stand out among the field of candidates any better than a needle in a haystack. Here are four ways to demonstrate the value you brought to past employers and, more importantly, will bring to a potential new employer.

First Impression:

Most hiring managers will give the first page a quick scan and either decide to read it or discard it. The first page must identify you as a valuable business resource or they?re on to the next resume. Position your responsibilities in terms of Value not tasks.

What They Need versus What You Want:

Have you ever included a ?Professional Objective? at the top of your resume? This is all about you and what you hope to find in your next work experience. But hiring managers care a lot more about what they need, not what you want. An easy way to address this is by providing a ?Professional Summary,? which highlights exactly what you bring to the table. Determine what makes you valuable and put it first!

It?s Called Capitalism:

Focus on how your hard work has profited your company. What did you do to make or save money, improve customer service, streamline processes, generate or retain customers? Limit the discussion of your daily responsibilities to a sentence or two and focus on your achievements.

Show Me the Money:

Support your professional accomplishments with facts, figures and percentages. This is the surest way to be noticed. For example:

- Generated a 7.9% annual increase in plant productivity not oversaw plant operations
- Managed $1.3 million in key accounts not Account Manager
- Decreased departmental turnover by 79% not good interpersonal skills

By highlighting your value to a prospective employer, you stand a much better chance of being noticed by humans and pre-screening software and considered as a viable candidate. In today?s job market, breaking the rules may be exactly what you need to do to land the job of your dreams!

Copyright ? 2008, Pat Faber-Garey.

Pat Faber-Garey brings two decades of workforce transition management to bear in helping business leaders take advantage of change. A published author, Faber-Garey?s 2006 book GREAT JOBS FOR GRADUATES: 90 Days to the Career of a Lifetime, is used as a university textbook. She is a regular speaker and industry source on workforce management and human resource development topics. Extreme Agility, LLC

MORE ARTICLES:

Resume Checklist - Guidelines to Get Noticed FAST!
Your resume can do a lot more than land you a job interview It can also help position you as the top candidate going into interviews, and even help you get a higher starting salary which could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars over the course of your career

IT Resume Tips For More Interviews
As the recruitment firm that introduced IT contracting to Australia we have put together a list of do?s and don?ts for your next resume If you are in IT and want more success out of your applications then you need to follow this advice

Resume Formats ... The Hidden Pitfalls
Deciding on a resume format is the first major decision to be made when creating your resume. The overall look of your resume depends on the resume format, font and outline you choose.

Three Myths About Resume Writing
Your perspective on resumes – what they are and how they function – will doubtless influence how well you can write your own. To create an outstanding resume, begin by questioning and replacing some of the commonly held assumptions about resume writing.

Health Care Job Seekers: Learn the Secrets of Getting Your Resume Noticed in an Online World
HealthcareRecruitment.com, a listing provider for nursing jobs and allied health careers, tells job seekers the best ways to maximize a return on an online resume. Whether searching for physical therapy jobs, pharmacy jobs, or jobs in other industries, following these tips will ensure that your resume looks professional and is found by the right people online.

Resume Writing - Get That Job
Looking for a new job, whether it is with a new company or a promotion within your own organisation, requires time and effort. To make your job search more effective you need to take five fundamental steps on the road to success:· Analysing your skills· Writing a winning Resume· Managing your job search· Coaching for interview success· Negotiating your job offerStep 1: Analysing your SkillsThe most crucial step in the job search process is to assess what skills you have to offer to your future boss.

Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade
In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which you present your skills, achievements and experience on paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring company considers your application.

New Video Resume Technology Changes the Job Market
SearchVideoResumes.com links employers and candidates from around the world.

Resume Success Factors--What Exactly Is A Resume Anyway?
You know you're good..

Resume Falsifications On the Rise, Likely to Worsen With the Economy, Reports Accu-Screen, Inc.
Common resume lies such as misrepresenting dates of employment, management skills, and job titles are increasing across the board

Avoid Mistakes and Gaffes in Your Job Resume
Having mistakes and gaffes in your job resume spell disaster for your job search. The last thing an employer needs is to look at a poorly written resume.

Writing a killer resume-3 Tips
When deciding to look for a new job and putting together a resume there are a couple things you need to consider, the first thing you need to do is to think about what type of job you want to acquire and use this to write your objective.

Ten Tips to a Powerful Resume
A new resume can jump-start your career. Your network contacts may ask for a resume and some industries absolutely, positively demand a resume as the price of admission.

Beat the Crowd with Winning Resume Cover Letters
Far too many people underestimate the importance of resume cover letters. In a sense, a well written cover letter works like an agent on your behalf.