HOW TO WRITE A GREAT RESUME
In this article, I'll show you how to
write a resume that shows employers exactly why they should
hire you.
Before I started writing resumes for a living, I
used
to work in HR. I spent many, many hours reading resumes and I can
tell you that almost no one writes a good resume. Really! Very
few people write a resume that showcases exactly what makes them
special.
The old saying "you never get a second chance to
make a first impression" is never truer than during a job
search. When most people write a resume, they assume that the reader
knows
more than they really do. Remember that when you send your resume
out, it must speak articulately for you. You
can't
explain inconsistencies, clear up confusion or fill in things that
are missing.
So let me show you how to write a resume that makes
a powerful sales pitch within 20 seconds.
How to Write a Resume
Step 1 - "Know Your Audience"
Most resumes are ineffective because
they don't focus on the needs of the employer. This means you can
win if you show
how you can add
value to your target companies.
You can't make a persuasive
case for why you should be hired unless you understand exactly
what employers
are looking for.
They are
hiring a new employee to solve a problem/ take advantage of
an opportunity. This applies whether it's an entry-level position
or a senior leadership role. No one just creates a vacancy
for
the fun of it.
This is why you should not start writing a resume
until you have identified the type of companies you are targeting
and done some
research to understand the needs of those companies.
How to Write a Resume Step 2 - "Define Your
Value Proposition"
If you have ever hired anyone,
you will know that most resumes all look the same. Deciding who to
interview is often
a "hit and
miss" exercise because there's no way to distinguish between
most of the candidates.
The good
news is that you can write a resume that grabs the reader's attention
by clearly conveying your unique value proposition
in lively,
interesting language.
Your value proposition is simply those things
that make you uniquely valuable to your target employers. Just
as marketers
summarize the
value of their product or service in order to differentiate
that product in the marketplace, job seekers need to write a resume
that clearly communicates why they can meet
employers' needs.
In my book, The
Complete Guide to Resume Writing, I take readers through
a comprehensive series of exercises designed to help
them identify
their unique value proposition. But even if you don't have
my book, you can still work on identifying what makes you special.
To do this think about what others say about you. Consider
when you're at your best. Think back over your work history.
Identify
how you
add value to your employers.As an example, my value proposition
is this:
" I use my prior experience as a Human Resources executive,
and my knowledge of marketing, to write resumes that
help people
get the job of their dreams."
What's yours?
Once you have identified
your value proposition, you can write a resume introduction that
encapsulates your value
proposition.
NOTHING will help you make an impact as much as this one change
to your resume.
How to Write a Resume Step 3 - "Focus on Your Impact"
I
mentioned before that the people reading your resume have just
one question: "What's in it for me? They want to know
that you have
made an impact on other companies.
That's why the bulk of your resume must be focused on IMPACT, not
responsibilities.
Show me what impact you had in your
prior positions and I can start to imagine the impact you will
have on my business and my company. Rewriting your resume to replace
boring old responsibilities with energetic accomplishment bullet
points is a guaranteed way to increase your resume response rate.
Take a look at our resume
samples to see what I mean.
If you'd
like step-by-step
instructions on how to create super-effective
bullet points, check out
my eBook, The
Complete Guide to Resume Writing. You'll find exercises
designed to help you construct powerful CAR stories, instructions
on turning
them into high-impact bullet
points, and tons of samples from real resumes to give you ideas.
You'll also get 20 real-world resume templates. And best of all,
you can download the first
chapter for free to see if you like
it.
How to Write a Resume
Step 4 - "Action-pack
Your Resume"
Look at your resume now and ask yourself
whether it is interesting and energetic. Does it convey that
you have taken initiative, achieved
results and made changes? Do you feel it communicates drive
and enthusiasm?
If not, you need to action-pack your resume by
rewriting
it to incorporate high energy, active words.Once of
the easiest ways to do this is to rewrite your accomplishment
statements so that they all begin with an action verb.
For example: - Delivered 10% increase in productivity by ...
- Solved challenging coding problem ...
- Reorganized HR filing system ...
- Transformed disorganized office into ...
- Boosted sales ...
- Changed approach to ...
Dynamic, high-energy language like this creates a sense
of movement, action and purpose that is irresistible to recruiters
who
have to read hundreds of lifeless and boring resumes.
How to Write a Resume Step 5 - "Design"
Design
is the aspect of resume writing that is most often overlooked
by busy job seekers - but it's incredibly important. Your
resume
will initially be scanned for 20 seconds or less before a decision
is made about whether your resume belongs on
the "no" pile. In order to make it past that
first screen, you need to ensure that your key selling points
jump off
the page at
first glance.
Assume that your reader is VERY busy.
Assume that he or she is not really reading your resume, but skimming
it quickly. Anything that doesn't "pop" off the page
will be missed. Earlier you identified your key selling points
- now it's time to
create a design that emphasizes those selling points.
Design is
a complex subject to cover in a short time, but I hope that these resume
samples are
helpful. Look at them
carefully and see how your eye is drawn to key pieces of information.
Remember,
a badly designed resume loses you interviews, so do not skip this
stage. Putting in the effort to lay out and format your
resume correctly will pay off enormously.
How to Write a Resume
- In Summary
Most people do not understand how to write a resume
and this lack of knowledge
hurts
them badly
when
they
apply
for vacant
positions. This article and the other resources on this website are
designed to help you write a resume that sets you apart from the
pack. To do that, you need to know your audience, understand and
communicate
your value proposition, describe how you have made an impact, action-pack
your resume and create a resume
format that's
effective.
Louise Fletcher is the President of Blue
Sky Resumes, and author of the eBook, The
Complete Guide to Resume Writing. Louise is also Managing
Editor and Co-founder of the preeminent careers blog, Career
Hub. She
is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and many of her resumes
have been published in the JIST "Expert Resumes" series.
She has contributed to many online publications including About.com,
Monster.com, The Ladders, and Net Temps.
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