\u201cIf you call failures experiments,\u201d said the very quotable educator\u00a0Mason Cooley, \u201cyou can put them in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and claim them as achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n
With all due respect to the late professor Cooley, the above job-search method is guaranteed professional suicide. Fortunately job seekers\u2014and prospective employers\u2014realize that r\u00e9sum\u00e9s are serious business. Even as technological advances flood the job-search market, one constant remains\u2014and will remain\u2014unchanged.<\/p>\n
Below are some tips on how to craft or refine a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 in a highly competitive job market.<\/p>\n
1. Format, format, format. <\/strong>A r\u00e9sum\u00e9\u2019s initial goal is to draw the attention of a prospective employer or recruiter. As they sift through hundreds and sometimes thousands of r\u00e9sum\u00e9s, the subtle nuances of formatting translate to an eye-catching r\u00e9sum\u00e9. Studies have shown how the human eye operates when reading. Eyes naturally gravitate toward the upper left corner of a page (as we read left to right), so put pertinent information, such as name and contact, there. To the right list previous employers, title and dates. Skill sets are best centered and with bullet points to break-up the text. Dense and blocky paragraphs sap initial interest.<\/p>\n 2. Sometimes less is more. <\/strong>Be strategic by being selective. Depending on the position targeted, hone the r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to speak to that specific audience. Let experience speak for itself, though work achievements you chose to highlight from each previous employment is vitally important. No need to list that two-year stint at the photo counter at CVS. If it\u2019s irrelevant to a prospective employer and position, keep it out.<\/p>\n 3. One-size does not fit all. <\/strong>Let go of the concept that one r\u00e9sum\u00e9 will work for multiple prospective employers and embrace the fine art of refining. Knowing your audience and tailoring a r\u00e9sum\u00e9 will go a long way in getting to the next step.<\/p>\n 4. The meat is in the metrics.<\/strong> Avoid the mechanical tone of simply listing responsibilities. R\u00e9sum\u00e9s are not job descriptions, \u00a0they’re a candidate\u2019s opportunity to highlight accomplishments and successes. An ideal rule of thumb is to list one responsibility to set the stage and follow-up with two achievements and metrics, if applicable.<\/span><\/p>\n 5. Ditch the references. <\/strong>It\u2019s time to retire the overused and obvious \u2018References available upon request\u2019 line. Leave it out entirely because employers will ask for them anyhow. Plus it takes up real estate while also implying\u2014though perhaps unintentionally\u2014that a candidate lacks work history or needs to call upon people to vouch for them.<\/span><\/p>\n 6. Buzz words = Buzz kill. <\/strong>\u2018Synergy\u2019 and \u2018dynamic\u2019 are so overused that they work against candidates. Prospective employers may dismiss even the best candidate as uninspired and pedestrian when words du jour are used. Take time to relay strengths and desires in the most authentic and individual way. Don\u2019t take the easy route here. You\u2019re best served by stepping back and thinking about the most effective and appropriate words to match your objectives.<\/span><\/p>\n Photo credit: Flickr\/Flazingo Photos<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cIf you call failures experiments,\u201d said the very quotable educator\u00a0Mason Cooley, \u201cyou can put them in your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and claim them as achievements.\u201d With all due respect to the late professor Cooley, the above job-search method is guaranteed professional suicide. Fortunately job seekers\u2014and prospective employers\u2014realize that r\u00e9sum\u00e9s are serious business. Even as technological advances flood […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1564,"featured_media":17598,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17594","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n