Writing a Résumé That Shouts ‘Hire Me’

[babylonsister]

Writing a Résumé That Shouts ‘Hire Me’

By PHYLLIS KORKKI
Published: February 27, 2010


IT’S tempting to think of a résumé as a low-maintenance aspect of your job search. Just list where you worked, what you did and where you went to school, attach that to each application and press the button.

In fact, though, you have considerable flexibility in how you structure your résumé. The decisions you make about what it says and how it looks can affect whether you get the job you really want, or get a job at all.

A résumé is a marketing document that “can serve as a magnet to draw job opportunities to you,” said Susan Ireland, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Perfect Résumé.” That’s largely because more résumés are now on job boards and social media sites, and are included on company databases, she said.

Often, people place too much emphasis on the parts of past jobs that they hated — and get new jobs they end up hating, too, she said. “Your résumé is about your future,” she said, “it’s not about your past,” so stress experiences that are most relevant to the position you aspire to hold.

more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/jobs/28search.html?ex=1283317200&en=3126e05ecbca6d9e&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=JO-D-I-NYT-MOD-MOD-M139-ROS-0310-HDR&WT.mc_ev=click

[Xipe Totec]

1. Excellent points!

Especially about not mentioning experience you have in fields you don't wish to work on, no mater how good a job you did.

[MercutioATC]

2. In this job market, only the diverse survive.

Robert Heinlein said "A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.".

Despite my respect for his recognized intellectual forethought, I used to disagree...based solely on the demands of the market (the market that is now dead).

Heinlein was right. Diversity is the key to success...and survival. Roaring economies and good job markets may mask it, but one must have diversified talents in order to survive the downturns.

[tonysam]

3. You better be under 50. It doesn't matter how "diverse" you are. n/t

[Alameda]

5. It's not the under 50 that counts...it's youthfullness that counts.

[DisgustedInMN]

10. Perhaps in a perfect world...

.. however, here on Planet Earth, in the United States of America, in this economy, being over 50 is the kiss of death when it comes to finding a job, period. Pretend it isn't true, that someone can magically make themself have some "youthfullness" (whatever the fuck that means) and everything gets all better. There a fucking attitude problem alright, but it's not those of us looking for employment that have it.

[Alameda]

4. Buckminster Fuller said it better....

"It follows that the more specialized society becomes, the less attention does it pay to the discoveries of the mind, which are intuitively beamed toward the brain, there to be received only if the switches are "on." Specialization tends to shut off the wide-band tuning searches and thus to preclude further discovery of the all-powerful generalized principles. Again we see how society's perverse fixation on specialization leads to its extinction"

http://www.rwgrayprojects.com/synergetics/intro/well.html

[ShamelessHussy]

7. not a good idea when job hunting... follow the marketers advice, keep it on point, attractive, and

simple.

no matter how many different skills you have, your resume should be tailored to target the job you are applying for.

not saying that having a broad range of skills is a bad thing, but targeting matters more when job hunting.

[MattSh]

12. Well, if your resume looks like everybody elses...

how the hell do you expect to stand out from the crowd? You have to differentiate yourself somehow.

[ShamelessHussy]

13. Well, I didn't say that... What I said holds true for most ads you see

But you wouldn't say every 30 sec commercial looks the same.

I think the trick is to get into the mind set that you are selling yourself, so do be creative with your format, but also direct, simple, and clear about your message.

If you do that, and tIe the extra time to format it beautifully and creAtively, it will help you stand out.

Of course this is just one aspect of job hunting but a very important one none the less.

Best wishes

[Dead_Parrot]

8. Well, I'm hosed

I'm crap at sonnets. :(

[Blue_Tires]

11. I'd be amused if even Heinlein could do all that competently...

[Berry Cool]

6. I am already doing everything advised in this article

and it's gotten me exactly one series of interviews in the past nine months...and no offers.

And no, I am not overly "specialized" (*sigh*).

[Christa]

9. K & Highly rec'd nt

[snagglepuss]

14. k & r. thanks for posting. nt

[Xithras]

15. And if you're delivering a physical copy, use quality paper.

No, not colored paper or patterned paper or construction paper, but a good quality paper that will set it apart in the pile and help to make your resume more memorable. It sounds silly, but it works. When I print my resume, I use a beautiful ivory cotton paper, and it gets noticed. Couple that with a simple but eye pleasing layout, and you'll have a resume that people will spend a few extra moments on.

Also, ALWAYS tweak every resume for every job. When applying for a position, I always spend at least 30 minutes researching the company to determine what their past achievements are, what markets they target, and where they're trying to go in the future. With so much information only a Google search away, its silly to NOT do this nowadays. You should then customize your resume to emphasize any skills you have that fit well into their model and environment.

THAT SAID, there's one important thing to keep in mind. When you're preparing custom resumes, make sure you keep copies of every resume you make, and record which resumes were given to whom. Every job seeker should take quality copies of their resumes to interviews, and it can look suspicious if you hand out a copy that differs from the one they already have. Also, make sure you review the resume you submitted before the interview. In an interview, you don't want to be referring to experiences that you may have left out of their version, or ignoring skills that your resume emphasized. They chose you for an interview based on your resume, and at the moment you walk in, the information in that resume is all they know about you. Everything you do, say, and demonstrate should accentuate and emphasize the idealized version of your skillset and experience that your customized resume presented to them.

[Blue_Tires]

17. excellent point

[KoKo]

16. LOL's....

:D