5 Things Your Resume MUST Do

1. It has to sell you…I have mentioned in other posts that ultimately your resume is a sales tool, not an autobiography. So, as you begin composing or revising your resume, keep this in mind.
2. It has to let the employer know that if he hires you, he’ll receive certain benefits. In other words, all of that job history content on your resume is intended to support your claim. What claim? The claim that if hired, you will provide certain benefits in the form of productivity, technical competence, management capabilities, creative thinking…whatever is apropos to your career and background.
3. It has to let the employer know you have what it takes to succeed in the position. You have to show that you not only have the right background and/or training, but that you are motivated and capable of getting results.
4. It has to be designed in a way that “grabs the attention” of the hiring manager. I have already remarked about the intense competition out there – and that goes double or triple if we hit a recessionary economy.
5. It has to be written in a way that motivates the hiring manager to pick up the phone and invite you to an interview. This gets us back to the sales tool comparison. Most would think of a resume more as a list of past jobs. You won’t make that mistake. Rather, you will see it more as a copywriter does. The copywriter fails if he or she fails to get the reader to take action.

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