Resume Objective
Did you know that when you are designing your resume, it should be done with the sole purpose of getting you an interview and not a job?
It's true, but not everybody job applicant understands this fact. The position for which you are applying may have hundreds of other candidates, so your potential employer will typically spend a mere 20 to 30 seconds reviewing your resume, a fraction of the time it took for you to create it.
Is the content of your résumé clearly laid out, in a concise and targeted manner? You need to maximize the content of your résumé and effectively sell your most relevant credentials to be considered for an interview. This may be the only chance you will have to make a positive first impression, so make it the best one.
Your resume needs to be better than anything your "competition" is offering if you are going to get that interview. Are you getting emails and phone calls from potential employers wanting to set up an interview? If not, take another look and examine what you are sending out. The best resumes will speak the correct "language" an employer wants to read, and that's the "language of results." Everybody can (and will) list employment dates and titles of positions that they held, but in that 20 to 30 seconds that your resume is being read, an employer does not have the time to read your entire job history and job responsibilities. They are searching for keywords, and not just any keywords, but keywords that show results.
Put yourself in the position of your potential employer for a moment. You want applicants to make it easy for you to spot how and why they are a step above the rest of the crowd. After all, even if you have a seemingly unlimited number of resumes to go through, you obviously do not have unlimited time. So make this as easy as possible for your potential future employer. Do you have specific examples of your successes? Can you achieve the goals and solve the problems that the company faces? They want to know if you can take initiative and contribute to the "bottom line." The keywords which your resume will contain need to grab their attention and demonstrate how you are driven to perform and work to achieve the goals set out for you.
These keywords will relate to quantifiable accomplishments regarding your past success. How exactly did you improve upon something, provide innovation, increase the company's profitability, or save the company money? Specific statements (when honest and quantifiable) help show an employer what you accomplished, instead of an abundance of words telling them what you did at your previous job. Even if you were not delegated a position with much authority, there is a huge difference in the way you convey your previous tasks and responsibilities.
In today's highly competitive marketplace, anything you send out that is less than outstanding will not do the job to help you land the job. Employers need to know that you will give your best to the job and the company. If you do not take the time to prepare your resume in a way that catches their attention, then you waste not only their time, but your own time as well. By investing the time it takes you to build an excellent resume, it helps you to separate yourself from your competition, who are trying to be just as bold in marketing and selling themselves as you are.
In the past, it may have taken you a little longer to come up with the right words, format your resume correctly, and make sure there are no typographical errors, while still trying to make sure you stand out from the rest of the crowd. However, there are now plenty of options to save you the time and hassle it once took you to make your resume as dynamic as possible - to improve your odds on getting that coveted phone call or email to interview for your next adventure in your professional life.
