Have you heard me talk about the C.A.R method? If you are a client of mine, you have. It’s a method I use in every single resume. It is, to me, the single most important factor when writing about your accomplishments. OK, so what does C.A.R. stand for and what does it mean for you? C.A.R. stands for: Challenge Action Results
When consulting with clients and proceeding with the data mining process, I always ask them about their C.A.R. stories. What were the stories behind their accomplishments? What was going on in the company before they took on the issue? Give the reader some background, not a novel, just a hint of what the environment was like.
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So, ask yourself, what was the Challenge I faced when either
a) I joined the company or
b) I took on the new situation or
c) I was promoted?
Briefly discuss the Challenge. Again, it doesn’t have to be super lengthy. You just want to get your message across.
For the Action portion, this is where you can talk about what you did to resolve or change the situation. What action or steps did you take? For some jobs, it might be quite detailed, but I wouldn’t advise talking about every single thing. Summarize as best as you can. Remember, HR people have lots of resumes to review and not a lot of time.
For the Results portion of C.A.R., talk about the results. What was the percentage of production increase? How much did you increase sales or people productivity? Use numbers and percentages whenever possible.
These are the things that stand out and make you more employable as employers want PROOF of what you are capable of doing… it shows them what you can also do for them as well.
C.A.R. is the easiest way to pull out your accomplishments if you are having a hard time thinking of what you did/do.
FSC Career Blog Author:Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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I see a lot of resumes in my work with professionals seeking to reimagine their careers, change jobs or bounce back after a layoff. The number one flaw I encounter? Their resume is perfectly tailored to get them exactly the same position they are leaving. This is a real problem for ambitious job seekers who are looking for career advancement or to pivot to a new area or industry. If you are hoping to make a change, you need a resume that is not merely descriptive of your past experience but instead positions you for your next role.
Your resume is your main marketing document. It is a door-opener and a springboard for conversations during interviews. If you aspire to make a change in your career, your resume must build the case for your readiness to take on the next challenge. No recruiter is going to do this for you, because their main objective is to find a clear match to fill a defined role. And hiring managers don’t have time to figure out how your various disparate experiences add up to the whole package. You have to connect the dots and make it easy for them to see how you are a perfect (or at least plausible) fit.
Many job-seekers use the format they probably learned when applying for their first job: start with their most recent experience and work their way backward. For each position, they describe the job. Maybe they even start each with an active verb.
But unfortunately, they fall into two traps:first, because they present what is essentially a job description, they do not convey the impact or value that they contributed; and second, they fail to demonstrate their ability to take their skills and experience to the next level. As a result, the reader will likely see them as the ideal candidate for the same old job but may not see them as qualified for a stretch role.
Here’s how to avoid this pitfall and position yourself for your next role:
Start with a summary describing who you are, your qualification and what value you contribute. This creates the filter through which a reader will view the rest of your resume and helps shape the narrative of natural progression and readiness. It tells them what to pay attention to and how to assemble a coherent picture of your professional capacity. It typically includes a descriptor, like “sales leader” or “seasoned engineer,” a thumbnail of your skills and experience and what you are known or recognized for. Here are some excellent examples.
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Tailor your resume to the job you are seeking, not to your prior jobs. Review the posted job requirements and make sure that you highlight those elements in your resume. It can be helpful to use key words from the job description, both to help get through the screening algorithm and to highlight those aspects of your experience when you are being interviewed. You want it to be easy for your reader to imagine you in the desired role. Note that, if you are pursuing a variety of roles or industries, you will want to have a basic skeleton resume and then create a few different tailored versions.
Demonstrate value by quantifying your results where possible. Don’t just describe the “what” — your actions or responsibilities — paint a picture of the “so what?” Highlight results, not just actions. What difference did you make or how did you contribute? Value can be demonstrated in terms of anything that can be counted: profits, revenue, savings, customer retention, satisfaction, efficiency, time, volume, size of team, etc.
Choose your words carefully. The subtleties of language can help you convey your “brand” — the qualities that are associated with your aspirational role. If you want to move from a job that is focused on execution to one that is about vision and strategy, avoid words that make you sound like a worker bee, like “diligent,” “tactical” and “responsive” and emphasize “strategic,” “proactive” and “influence.” You may also need to translate the language of one industry or field to another. Should you refer to “clients,” “customers,” “users,” or “stakeholders”? Adopt the vocabulary of your target role and industry.
Be positive. A job change is an opportunity to stretch and grow, and it requires you to project competence and confidence. Inside you may be a quivering mass of imposter syndrome, but your resume needs to tell the story of why, even if you have not done precisely this job, you are equal to the task. It starts with strong positioning in your summary. In addition, you can convey this by highlighting a track record of learning quickly, advancing, scaling rapidly and adapting. Finally, when you get to the interview, be sure to express excitement about the challenges and opportunities as well as a sincere commitment to adding value.
Author: Hanna Hart – I am an executive coach with more than ten years experience in business, tech, law, foundations and other organizations. I help leaders to understand themselves better,
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Forbes.com | August 10, 2020
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I work with clients every day who have a difficult time writing about themselves. We typically are not very objective when it comes to evaluating our work, looking at what we have accomplished.
If you are starting a resume from scratch, it can be overwhelming, especially if you are writing it yourself. Sometimes, you may think that you don’t even have enough achievements to fill an entire resume. If you have been working for more than a few years now, YOU DO. It’s all in the way you look at tasks you’ve done.
I work with clients every day who assume that the achievements must have numbers or metrics attached to them. Or, they’ll tell me, “Oh, well, that isn’t really a big deal. It’s just something I came up with to make that process easier.” They shrug off what would make a really good accomplishment. This is one reason it can be helpful to have a professional resume writer assist you in helping you in writing your resume. We just aren’t good at evaluating ourselves or promoting what we have done.
However, if you are writing your own resume, here are tips on how to gather valuable experience for crafting your resume.
☑️ Identify Strengths & Weaknesses
You may already know what your strengths and weaknesses are, but if not, talk to close, trusted colleagues or friends. You can also review past performance reviews and read what has been said about what you do well, and what areas you need to improve on. When you have identified them, you know what to highlight on your resume. If your strength is cultivating customer relationships, focus on that. (it may be another candidate’s weakness!).
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Start by reviewing your job description or making a list of tasks you do each day. These are usually the things that keep your department running smoothly. Just because you do them every day doesn’t mean they aren’t important. Review each of them and look for the strengths that you bring to them. Don’t discount them. What hole would there be if you didn’t do them.
☑️ What is Your Impact
Think back over the past months, even looking at your calendar for meetings you were a part of or conferences you may have attended. What have you contributed to or been a part of? What was the impact or result? Write down the specific results from the decisions made and include it.
☑️ Teams & Connections
We all develop connections at our jobs. Think through each of these relationships and how they may have impacted the company. Have you helped build new relationships? Did this create opportunities? Have you partnered with other teams to help lead an initiative? Your daily collaborations make a big difference.
Your resume is a marketing document, selling yourself to a potential employer. If you don’t write about the value you bring, how will they know.
FSC Career Blog Author:Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.
FSC Career Blog – August 6, 2020
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Writing the perfect resume may seem difficult to accomplish with all of the tips and tricks you have heard about. The top resume writing services can point out mistakes on your resume that you may not even believe is an issue.
For example, we’ve all heard about the value of using bullet points in a resume, but did you know using too many bullet points is a sign of desperation in the eyes of an employer? Identifying mistakes like this can be tough, so here are five of the biggest errors the top resume writing services can help you discover and prevent.
Not Including Your LinkedIn Profile
Nowadays employers are going to look for social proof rather than simply relying on your resume to tell them what they need to know. Not including your LinkedIn profile link at the top or bottom of your resume may indicate you’re hiding something or you don’t want them to search for you online. Employers will try to find your LinkedIn profile anyway, so make it easier on them by providing the link.
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While it’s tempting to list out every achievement, skill and accomplishment you’ve earned over the years, try not to put them in the form of too many bullet points. Having more than about five bullet points may indicate you’re trying too hard to appear qualified for the job. It’s best to narrow down your most relevant attributes to the job you’re applying for and only include those.
Not Enough White Space
You never want your resume to be more than two pages, but you also shouldn’t stuff as much text as possible into those two pages. The best executive resume format will leave a good amount of white space around the perimeter of the document and between each section of the resume. This makes the entire document look cleaner and it’s much easier for the hiring manager to read.
Listing Political Affiliations
You may feel strongly about your political affiliation, but your resume is not the place to list it. One of the only times the top resume writing services will recommend listing your political affiliation is if it’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. Otherwise, it’s generally a big risk to include it.
Inconsistencies or Typographical Errors
Proofreading your resume thoroughly for typographical errors or inconsistencies is essential. Don’t rely on spell check offered by your software program, since it doesn’t always catch everything. Once you believe you have everything in order, allow a friend or a resume expert to proofread and critique it as well so you don’t miss anything.
After putting forth time and energy creating your resume, don’t make these easy to correct mistakes and have your resume end up in the recycling bin.
FSC Career Blog Author:Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.
FSC Career Blog| July 9, 2020
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The past few months have been challenging for most employees and workplaces. In fact, the unemployment rate has skyrocketed and many people are on unemployment while they wait to see if and when their jobs will be back to “normal.” This is a time—whether or not you have lost your job or are still working—when it may be a good idea to review your resume.
Here are some tips for update your documentTODAY.
Tip #1: Say what happened. If you are on furlough due to COVID-19 or have been laid-off due to this situation, then make a line item on your resume that says you were placed on furlough or the company closed. Because everyone has been affected by the pandemic, it is okay to mention it on your resume.
As you move forward during or after COVID-19, make sure that you are aware of the challenges while still remaining hopeful and positive for the future. There ARE things you can do RIGHT NOW to change your resume FOR THE BETTER!
Tip #2: Now is a great time to change directions. If you have always wanted to make a career transition or try a different industry, then now is the time to rework your resume toward that goal. In fact, all industries will be changing how they operate, so there may be more opportunities in your intended target industry.
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Tip #3: Focus on transferable skills. Let’s face it: you may have to switch directions or take a job that isn’t in your traditional goals; use what you have done in the past to ensure you are aligning it to future jobs. Discuss your cross-functional teamwork abilities, critical decision making, creative problem solving, and communication skills.
Tip #4: Don’t be afraid to state facts. You are NOT bragging when you talk about your accomplishments or achievements. Think of yourself as a reporter who is stating facts and discussing what happened. This is NOT the time to be demure or to worry about being boastful.
Tip #5: Start looking NOW. While many companies are in a hiring freeze, do not wait to look for new opportunities. If everyone looks for new jobs at the same time, there will be a LOT of competition. Keep your eyes open now and make sure that you are always available for new jobs.
As you move forward during or after COVID-19, make sure that you are aware of the challenges while still remaining hopeful and positive for the future. There ARE things you can do RIGHT NOW to change your resume FOR THE BETTER!
FSC Guest Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in management from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, an MBA from Lakeland College, and a Ph.D. in Organization and Management from Capella University. She LOVES helping people position themselves for today’s job market. She can help boost your confidence by creating a resume that helps you land your DREAM JOB. Visit her website @ https://www.feather-communications.com
If you are still unsure how to make your resume stand-out, contact me today for a free resume review!
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Spring is the most popular time of the year to get some cleaning done in and around the house. But it’s also a great time to clean up your executive resume! This is one of the busiest times of the year for professional executive resume writers, so if you plan on using a resume service to clean up the cobwebs for your resume, now’s the time to make an appointment.
Updating your resume is more than just changing some dates. If you haven’t looked at your resume in the past few years, you need to consider these tips to spruce up your resume for the upcoming hiring season. Once this global health crisis is over, the flood gates will open, and you don’t want to be left behind.
Highlight Only Relevant Skills
Your last resume may have been filled with a lot of different skills in hopes of the relevant one getting recognized. Any executive resume writing service today will tell you to highlight only relevant skills, because hiring managers won’t take the time to read through them all. You’ve got six seconds to impress a recruiter, so make them count.
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Words like “passionate,” “reliable” and “dependable” all may describe you perfectly, but the reality is everyone believes those words describe them as well. Do yourself and your resume a favor and remove these clichés, since they don’t add any value to your executive resume.
Update Dates
Depending on your age, you may need to update or remove a significant amount of dates on your executive resume. Dates are good to use to an extent, but if you are attempting to
highlight experience from 30 years ago, chances are it won’t help you land your next job.
Be More Focused
The best executive resume services want you to target your resume more. The days of creating one general resume to send out to many different companies are over. Companies today want to see a resume tailored to their needs, so you need to comply if you want to have a chance.
If All Else Fails, Start from Scratch
Updating an old resume can take more time than just starting over from scratch. Sometimes even the best professional executive resume writers will suggest starting over with a clean slate. This will help clear your mind from all of the older accomplishments and experiences and allow you to focus on the more current experiences you can remember.
Resume formats change, and now is the time to dust the cobwebs off your resume and dress it up. You want to make sure you have added not only your most recent jobs and promotions, but also achievements and new skills since your last update. Take advantage of this downtime to put some thought into presenting yourself accurately in your new resume.
FSC Career Blog Author:Ms. Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.
FSC Career Blog | April 20, 2020
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If it’s been a while since you looked for a new job, you likely haven’t updated your resume during that time. Depending on how long it has been, simply making updates to it won’t be sufficient. When writing an effective resume today, you have to take into consideration how it looks digitally as well as on paper.
And a lot of the resume writing strategies that applied a decade ago should be avoided now. Recruiters and hiring managers will be able to easily tell if your resume is dated, so here’s how you can rework yours to catch it up with modern times.
Old Resumes Need To Be Reworked Completely
Any professional resume writing service will suggest rewriting your resume completely if it’s close to a decade old. Sometimes it’s best to start with a blank document so you won’t be tempted to operate under the same framework as your old resume. But when you’ve only written a couple of versions of your resume, and none of them have been recent, how do you know where to start? An executive resume writer is a good resource since they are up-to-date on what should and shouldn’t be included.
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Old resumes didn’t typically highlight a job applicant’s personal brand. Today, personal branding is essential to include on resumes, since it’s what sets you apart from the rest. It can be difficult to do this if you’ve never done it before, so there’s no harm in working with an executive resume writer for assistance.
Keywords, formatting, hyperlinks and more should also be modernized in your resume. With more employers using applicant tracking systems to help them filter through resumes, it’s essential to include proper keywords and phrases to ensure your resume gets recognized. Targeting is also highly recommended when writing an effective resume. Employers can spot a general resume quickly, so do your research and demonstrate your knowledge about the company and their needs in yours.
Outdated Details Should Be Removed
Details like where you live, professional references, outdated expertise, an objective statement or other personal information don’t belong on resumes anymore. Of course, if a specific employer asks for this information, then you should have it handy and ready to provide it to them. Nothing demonstrates an outdated resume more than including these types of details, which most employers aren’t interested in.
Keeping up with the times is difficult today in the fast-paced world we live in. It’s especially difficult to do so if you have held the same job for many years and need to put together a resume quickly. Take time to consider whether your resume may be out-of-date before you start your job search process.
FSC Career Blog Author: Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, CERW, CEMC, is a Certified Professional Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, named one of Forbes “Top 100 Career Websites”. Considered an influencer, she is consistently listed as a “Top Career Expert to Follow” on Twitter and LinkedIn.
FSC Career Blog | March 10, 2020
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Whether I am working with a CEO, a customer service manager, or a teacher, I consistently see the same resume mistakes over-and-over again. Remember—if you haven’t written a resume in five or more years, things have changed!
Please see the list below for the most common resume mistakes and how to avoid them.
Tip #1 – Don’t include personal details. Believe it or not, people sometimes include photos, marital status, and personal hobbies. Photos and personal details allow individuals to pre-judge you BEFORE you even get to the interview. Stay with professional information and documentation.
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Tip #2 – Don’t include SO MUCH information. I understand that your work history is important and it’s difficult to know where to ‘draw the line’ with what is and what isn’t included. However, including everything makes NOTHING stand-out. Focus on what that particular employer needs to know about you. Keep the information concise and on-target for your desired positions.
Tip #3 – Beware of strange formatting. Don’t decide to utilize three different fonts, some clip art, and various colors. It’s very important to be consistent with your formatting and to give your resume a clean, cohesive, and consistent appearance. Remember – a recruiter or hiring manager is most likely only reviewing the document for about 5-7 seconds…you do NOT want that person to be distracted by formatting.
Tip #4 – Ensure space is utilized. Your resume contains prime real estate and we want that real estate to work for us. Put a header at the top of your resume instead of the word “Summary.” Mention your past positions or future desired positions by stating something like, “Executive-Level Administrative Assistant” or “Entry-Level Accounting Professional.” And, don’t include things like hobbies and volunteerism if you have more pertinent and relevant information that is DIRECTLY related to your future roles.
The tips listed here are just the start of things to consider when crafting your updated resume. If you are still unsure of how to include certain information or what sections you need to use on your resume, I’d love to chat – click HERE now!
FSC Career Blog Author: Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, based in Colfax, Wisconsin, has been working with job seekers since 2008 to develop eye-catching and dynamic resumes for today’s marketplace. She is a Certified Professional Resume Writer and has written thousands of resumes for clients in a variety of fields. Dr. Rothbauer-Wanish has a BBA in Management, an MBA, and a PhD in Organization and Management.
FSC Career Blog| February 27, 2020
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Resume help can be found all over the web. There are resume templates and builders to help format your resume, online tools to identify important industry keywords, resume samples to get inspiration from, and articles like this one containing tips and tricks to help elevate your resume to the next level.
In fact, there are so many resources to choose from that sometimes it’s hard to pick out what’s actually accurate and useful. Like anything you Google on the internet, there’s going to be a lot of hogwash that just isn’t worth your time. So with this in mind, here are 5 mistakes you should avoid when searching for resume help online.
Mistake 1: Believing the first thing you read
Your resume may be printed in black and white, but how you should actually go about writing your resume certainly isn’t that simple. Blanket statements that “resumes should never exceed one page” or that “resumes should never include an objective statement” are thrown around willy-nilly by self-proclaimed resume experts all the time. Sadly though, things are almost never this simple. Many of these pieces of advice are oftentimes only applicable in certain situations, and sometimes just downright incorrect.
Before treating the first piece of advice you read as gospel, be sure to do some more research. Ask yourself: What’s the logic behind the advice? Does the advice apply to everyone at all job levels and in all industries? Is the advice an oversimplification of the truth? Do all resume experts agree on it?
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Mistake 2: Paying for something you can get for free
Let’s get two things straight here. First, whatever type of resume help you’re searching for, chances are there’s a way to get it for free. Whether it’s resume builders, resume templates, resume samples, resume critiques, or resume articles, you can easily find free options for all of these resources.
Second, just because there’s a paid option doesn’t mean it’s any better than the free option. This is the trap many of us can fall prey to. We see a fancy resume template that costs $20, and we immediately think it must somehow be better than all the free templates we’ve been staring at for the past hour because one costs money and the others do not. In actuality, paid templates are oftentimes too over-the-top and not compatible with applicant tracking systems.
Mistake 3: Hoping resume builders will solve all your problems
Resume writing can be a very painstakingly difficult and drawn-out process. This is why many job seekers turn to online resume builders with the hope that they will make the writing process a whole lot more bearable. Unfortunately, this is all just wishful thinking.
For the most part, resume builders really only help you with formatting your resume by providing an assortment of different resume templates to switch between. While this certainly is a handy feature, resume builders are completely useless when it comes to helping you with what you’re likely really struggling with – writing the actual content of your resume. So, if you’re looking for help with highlighting your work achievements and constructing each bullet point, don’t get swept up in all the hype resume builders are getting these days.
Mistake 4: Not utilizing resume samples
If resume builders are the most overrated tool, I daresay the most underrated resource you can use would be industry-specific resume samples. While everything else you find online merely tells you how to write a resume, resume samples actually show you how a well-written resume should look like – and that’s priceless.
I’ve had so many job seekers over the years ask me to critique their current resume, and many of them looked nothing like how professional resumes should appear. Whether it’s using a poor design, personal pronouns, paragraphs instead of bullet points, or oversized fonts, job applicants often make a ton of fundamental mistakes that can easily be avoided by perusing online resume samples in order to understand the basic mechanics of a resume.
Mistake 5: Failing to realize when to use resume writing services
The crème de la crème – that is the standard you should be setting for your resume. However, if writing has just never been your forte or if English isn’t your native language, it can be nearly impossible to get your resume to that level of excellence all by yourself – even with all the online resources out there at your disposal. If that’s the situation you’re in, you should consider asking for professional help.
Now keep in mind, this is by far the most expensive alternative to take when it comes to having your resume written. Even as the CEO of a resume service myself, I would only suggest using a resume writing service as a last resort. However, if you are certain that you can’t write a stellar resume on your own and can afford to spend a few hundred dollars on a resume, then going with a resume writing service may be the best decision you can make for your career.
It’s honestly awesome that there are so many ways the internet can help you with writing your resume. However, don’t just dive into this without any strategy in place. With so much at your disposal, it’s important to identify what types of help are out there and what exactly you need help with.
https://www.firstsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/man-at-couch-with-laptop.jpg350525First Sun Teamhttps://www.firstsun.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/logo-min-300x123.jpgFirst Sun Team2020-01-16 17:16:212020-09-30 20:43:085 Common Mistakes Job Seekers Make When Searching For Resume Help Online. Before You Pay, Read This!
Most of the resumes I review each year suffer from an identity crisis and are uninspiring. They’ve been created in cookie-cutter fashion, filled with overused words and phrases, are not aligned with the employer’s needs and open with a vague statement that “tells” the employer what they are looking for …”to utilize my skills and experience …” (insert yawn.)
A resume with an identity crisis leaves the reader confused and unable to discern exactly what direction the person is going with their career or the value they bring to the organization. More than that, this type of resume doesn’t:
Differentiate you from your competition.
Provide context. It’s all generic fluff that sounds like hundreds of other candidates.
Make it easy for the hiring authority to determine how you solve their specific business pain.
Prepare you for interviews.
Say anything unique at all.
Still today, job seekers hold fast to the belief that employers want an objective statement along with a full obituary of their career. And, they continue to create generic resumes with basic job descriptions, tasks, and experiences. Resumes have evolved.
Today’s Resumes:
Are focused and make it easy for hiring manages to grasp your value (what you can do for them), where you worked (your unique experiences), and the impact of your efforts.
Are bold and go beyond simply showing titles, dates, and job duties.
Demonstrate your value and frame how you made a difference.
Do not use generic objective statements or overused phrases.
Convey perception (how you want to be perceived); alignment (who you are and where you are going); and a summary (the argument for your worthiness to be hired for the position).
Are unique to the applicant and not a copy of another person’s document.
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Your resume should connect with your audience and build the hiring authority’s confidence in you by proving your value.
If you’re uncertain of the direction you want to go in your career, find the common thread and then emphasize where your skills and qualifications intersect with the employer’s needs.
It All Starts with a Strategy — No matter the circumstance, to create a great resume, you need a strategy before you start writing.
What is your career goal?
Who is your target audience?
What value do you offer (skills and competencies for the industry targeted)?
In the end, a clear direction will help shorten your job search.
CareerExperts.com | September 19, 2019 | Tammy Shoup
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