Resume

A RESUME THAT GETS YOU THE JOB

In this age of massive unemployment, finding a job has become more difficult than ever. There is one principle however that you should keep in mind when applying because understanding it will give you a good edge over others. It is the salesperson-customer relationship.

Whenever you apply for a job, you need to think of the person hiring you as your customer, and your resume as the product you are trying to sell. As a product, the resume needs to be “sale-able”. It needs to be appetizing to the eyes. It has to be catchy. It should be enticing to the customer ( your future employer ).An efficient salesperson sells a product to a prospective customer based on product benefits, and how that product will add more value to the purchaser's lifestyle.

Let’s apply this principle to job application. As a job applicant, you should present yourself to the hirer as someone who can benefit the company he represents. In formulating your resume therefore, it has to answer the hiring personnel’s very important question: "Why should I hire you?

FIRST-THINGS-FIRST

Before you ever begin to write your resume, imagine that you are in the shoes of the hiring manager. Try to see yourself through that person’s eyes – the customer’s eyes, so to speak. Think of the key skills, experiences, achievements, and other criteria that a hiring manager will seek in the ideal candidate. Naturally, the hirer looks for that person who will best benefit the company.


Given this scenario however may pose a problem with you. Supposing you apply for a secretarial job. A hirer most likely has received many other applications aside from yours. That hiring personnel already has in mind what qualifications to look for. All secretaries basically do the same thing so that based from that criteria, many candidates would likely qualify. So, the crucial question at hand will be; “What's going to separate you from the other one hundred prospective secretaries that submitted their resumes?” Think about this carefully. Remember that a resume’s purpose is not just to attract and win the approval of a potential hiring manager. Best of all, it has to outshine everyone else’s.


What follows are some sure-fire tips that can help you stand out from among the other applicants.

THE APPROACH

Truthfulness ranks first. Your honesty in creating this personal document is highly important. Always remember that during the interview, you will be evaluated as to the content of your resume against your actual interview performance and appearance. Never claim lies; do not even  be tempted to put in half-truths, and exaggerations. To be safe, the rule to follow is: Highlight the positive; eliminate the negative!

THE PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Give utmost attention to the physical aspects of your document. Present your resume in a format that is neat, professional, and attractive. Pay particular attention to your choice of font, size, indentations, etc. Use clear, easy-to-read fonts, and avoid overuse of italics, underscores, and bold lettering. Print on good quality paper, with matching cover letters and envelopes. Use legal-sized (A4) paper which is preferably white in color. Hiring managers look for carefully-written resumes because they mirror the candidate’s diligence and work ethic. Be meticulous with spelling, grammar, English usage, and mechanics. The quality of work in your presentation will likely be a determining factor in a hiring manager's selection of interview finalists.

THE PRESENTATION

Use the power of numbers. Quantify your specific accomplishments. Figures are very attractive to the hirer's eye. Numbers matter a lot in resumes. They speak louder than words. When presenting your achievements; be explicit. A statement that goes like this is ideal: “I introducedd and spearheaded a sales campaign which lasted for 3 months and generated an income of $ 120,000.”



Present your best attributes using confident, proactive language. Show how these qualities enabled you and the company to reach positive results through powerful, descriptive words.  Take advantage of verbs and modifiers written in the active voice and use them in presenting comprehensive proofs and solid evidences.



A headline on top of your cover letter could work miracles.To create a stronger impact, place on top of your resume cover letter your employment objective. Example, "Highly experienced, motivated professional seeks a position as Administrative Assistant in Pharmacological Sales." Your cover letter must indicate a specific job title in reference to your job application. It has been a common mistake that applicants keep their resumes too generic thinking that this improves their chances to be hired. More often than not, the opposite happens. It is usual for hiring managers to come across so many resumes that the last thing they want to do is try and figure out where to place someone, so they do the easier work instead - throwing such resumes into the rejection heap.

Additinal Tips

It is advisable that you seek help and get helpful tips from resume compilations found in book stores, libraries, and the internet. whenever you make your resume Just be cautious with generic templates. Remember that your resume is a personal testimonial that should distinguish your unique qualifications from competing job candidates.

Another important aspect in job hunting is networking. Try to expand your contacts by joining organizations and chat groups. Identify and research your targeted companies and find people who work there. Discover the cultural climate and working conditions of such company as this knowledge will give you a better advantage over other job candidates. Seek career advisers too.


As a wrap-up, the purpose of the resume is to get an interview. The purpose of the interview is to make the panel like you and to consider you for the position you are applying for. And that’s the reason why a resume has to be exciting to read, visually-appealing, and filled with vital information relevant to the job being applied for. It is when these criteria are achieved that you will most likely stand out from among the other applicants, obtain an interview, and eventually, get the job.