The first time a client came to me and asked me to rewrite their resume, I was quite surprised. As a long-time marketing consultant, it was never an area that I even considered venturing into. But that is exactly why this executive wanted to hire me. They basically said, “I want you to market me.”
Having written hundreds of resumes since then, for everyone from new graduates to C-suite execs, I can tell you the three roadblocks to having a successful resume in today’s job market.
#1 Your Resume Has to Be Tailored for the Job You Want
Having done a small stint in HR back in the day, I did understand how a cleverly crafted resume could help you stand out in a crowded employment market. In fact, in my younger days, I deployed my own marketing prowess to land a job at the hottest company in town, by selling the qualities I knew the company valued – someone young, eager, willing to work the hours, and where no task was considered beneath me.
Therefore, in your opening summary, instead of saying the basic:
New business graduate looking for an entry position in a marketing role.
WRONG! You have to sell them right away on your key attributes, the ones they are looking for, such as:
As a recent graduate in business, majoring in marketing, I am looking to join a company where my dependable work ethic, go-getter enthusiasm, and desire to train and learn from senior team members is a valued asset.
It more than made up for my lack of experience and sealed the deal. In other words, when the hiring manager is reading your resume, they have to immediately see the personal qualities they want for the job, so that might meaning changing it for every position.
You can learn more about my Resume Writing Service here.
#2 Your Soft Skills are Not Engaging Enough
One of the most important sections hiring managers are looking at right now is soft skills, which includes such things as interpersonal skills, organizational skills, and so forth. However, you do not want to just list “interpersonal skills” that won’t cut it. The more you elaborate, the better.
For example, right now if your resume lists the following typical soft skills:
- Strong leadership abilities.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Coaching and team mentoring.
WRONG! This will not grab anyone’s attention. What you want is:
- Exceptional leadership and employee management capabilities, able to motivate people, instill accountability, and achieve results.
- Excellent interpersonal skills with an emphasis on building teams, partnerships, managing conflict, and influencing others.
- Proven record in coaching and developing staff to improve performance and achieve professional goals.
You can learn more about my Resume Writing Service here.
#3 You Are Not Listing Quantifiable Achievements
You also have to get very specific about the achievements and milestones you have had in previous jobs. A good format is to list your “Responsibilities” first, ending with your “Achievements”, but you DO NOT want to write your achievements like this:
- Increased sales.
- Improved administrative processes.
- Managed a large team.
WRONG! You want to qualify and quantify, such as:
- In 2023, exceeded annual sales target by 23%, generating $500,000 in new business revenue.
- Implemented a new messaging app that reduced email volume by 20% and cut the average response rate to less than an hour.
- Managed a diverse team of 100 collection agents and 5 department heads across 2 locations.
You can learn more about my Resume Writing Service here.
Final Tip
Since 90% of all businesses now use ATS software to scan resumes, the final piece of advice is to make sure that your resume is in true ATS format and includes all of the major keywords the position is asking for, otherwise it will be rejected right at the onset.
So why don’t you let me market you! You can learn more about my Resume Writing Service here.
I hope you enjoyed these key tips for a successful resume. You might also want to read my post, Why You Need a Personal Brand.
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