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Resume Writing to Land the Position
It’s common to think the purpose of a résumé is to get an interview. Millions and millions of résumés are circulating over the Internet or stacking up on a hiring manager’s desk so you should change your thinking about the role of your résumé in your job search.
When you create a résumé, don’t use it only as a tool to get an interview. Your résumé should be considered as the first 30-seconds of the interview process. Hiring managers and HR personnel take 20 to 30 seconds to initially review your resume. You must use that time to connect with them by knowing your audience and using a vocabulary that speaks directly to your readers. Become acquainted with the person who makes hiring decisions and deliver your résumé directly to that person. If this is not possible, learn as much as you can about your desired position through posted job descriptions, industry research, and conversations with people in a similar job. Doing your homework about the job you want helps you easily converse in the same language as the people who are in a position to offer you a job.
Employment and HR experts advise job seekers to present a résumé with quantitative and precise achievements and results. This indicates that you can produce these results in the future. Because you have roughly 30 seconds of a hiring manager’s attention, your résumé must be clear, concise, and professional. Open your résumé with a qualifications statement that gets right to the point of who you are and what you can do. If you don’t present a clear picture or have the ability to explain how you can benefit an employer, no hiring manager is going to figure it out for you.
The more you focus your résumé toward a specific position and industry, the stronger your candidacy will be. Resist the urge to use one résumé for a variety of positions across multiple industries. When you target a specific position and industry, you will have a better knowledge of which keywords to use in your résumé. This tells a hiring manager that you understand his or her needs and are capable of filling those needs.
A cover letter should accompany every résumé unless the employer states otherwise. A cover letter serves as a good preface to your résumé by allowing you to discuss your work ethics and ability to function as a team player. It also lets you provide more detail about one or two achievements in a particular industry. Your cover letter supports your résumé—it does not repeat it. Be sure to follow the rules of professional business correspondence in your cover letter, and use the same active voice and terminology you use for your résumé writing.
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Resume Writing Tips — Common Errors
People make mistakes all the time; however, the resume is not a place for mistakes. Your resume is one area where hiring managers are not so forgiving on particular mistakes. This document represents you and your brilliance. It markets you and is your calling card to an organization and says Here’s why I am the best candidate for this position. It is your only chance to make a first impression on those who are in-charge of hiring or declining to hire you.
Here are a few mistakes that are “unforgivable” from an HR perspective. These resume writing tips could be the difference between the “trash can” and “open doors” for interviews and future employment.
Misspell Company Name: It is never good to misspell the name of the company. The hiring manager reviewing your resume could have worked there and it’s just very unprofessional and says little about your ability to pay attention to details. For example, you wrote FRED’s FLOD INSPECTION when you meant to write FRED’s FLOOD INSPECTION. The hiring manager will not “know what you mean” nor will they give you the benefit of the doubt.
Job Title misspellings: Your credibility is discounted immediately if you make this mistake. For example, if your resume were to display as Chef Information Officer. Again, attention to detail would be questioned and doubts whether you can handle decisions or lead people get introduced over what seems to be an innocent mistake.
Inconsistent dates: If your dates don’t match up or are not in order, then you could be considered flighty or not detail-oriented.
Example: JANES PEARL PROCUREMENT, City, State 2000 – 2003 is listed before SALLY’S SUPPLY CHAIN, City, State 2005 – 2007
Vanity Email addresses: Carefully consider your email address you put on your resume. If your current email is goodlooker123@emailaddress.com then you probably don’t want to use that address on your resume. Since most email addresses are free you should create one that is more professional specifically for resumes. This will prevent you from sending any pre-conceived notions to a potential employer.
Life brings stress and these types of mistakes can possibly slip right past you. In these times, you can place your confidence in our professionals at FixREZ.com for excellence in the creation and preparation of quality resumes that will get you noticed by potential employers.
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10 Major Resume Mistakes
You spent a lot of time getting your resume right. Thinking of your background and writing it all down takes a lot of time and effort.
Now that you have gone through this effort, it would be terrible if hiring managers see glaring mistakes that cause your resume to be tossed aside. They only spend 30 seconds review resumes and your resume has to make an instant impression, don’t let it be a bad one.
Watch out for these major mistakes:
1. No cover letter.
Cover letters are extremely important. Hiring managers reject resumes that arrive without them. Your cover letter should expand on a few of your qualifications, explaining any gaps in employment or provide other information that will entice the employer to read your resume.
2. Strange Resume.
Unusual fonts or fluorescent orange paper will make your resume stand out NEGATIVELY. Keep your resume looking professional with standard white or cream-colored paper, black type and a common font like Arial or Times New Roman.
3. Rambling Resume.
If you have more than ten years of work experience, going back to that job you had in high school is unnecessary and should not be included on your resume. Your resume shouldn't be longer than two pages so only include your most recent and relevant work history.
4. No accomplishments.
Instead of writing a list of “what you did”, document how each duty contributed to your company's bottom line. For example, anyone can plan the company fund-raiser, but if you note that your fund-raiser brought in 50 percent more money than the previous year's event, the hiring manager will be take notice.
5. Selfish Objective.
Everything on your resume should point to your experience. A summary of qualifications that conveniently displays your accomplishments and background is far more effective than a generic objective statement ("To gain experience in...").
6. Generic Resume.
Always customize your resume and cover letter for each job and employer to which you apply. This way, you can tailor your materials to show how you will be a perfect fit for the position.
7. Wrong Dates and Titles.
Background checks are more common these days and any "stretched truth" you give your titles or employment dates to cover gaps will likely get caught -- and eliminate you from consideration.
8. Spilling your guts.
Never put anything negative on your resume. If you left the position due to a layoff or you were fired, bring it up only if asked.
9. Too Much Personal Information.
It's fine if you enjoy fly scuba diving and rock climbing, but unless your hobby relates to your career, it doesn't belong on your resume. Personal information such as your height, weight, religious affiliation, sexual orientation or any other facts that could potentially be used against you.
10. Relying on Spell Check.
Spell-checkers can pick up many typos, but they will not catch everything (manger vs. manager, for example). Always proofread your resume several times, and ask others to give it a final review.
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Sample Resumes, Cover Letters and Templates
Sample Simple Resume »
Sample Key Skills Resume »
Sample Targeted Resume »
Sample Executive Resume »
Sample Resume Objectives »
Sample Cover Letter »
Template - Simple Resume »
Template - College Resume »
Template - Entry Level Resume »
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