Sitting in front of the computer–hour after hour–day after day–only to cut and paste your resume on every job board available to mankind is a waste of time! In the long-run, putting yourself through this ongoing routine of submitting your resume, and then continuing to wait and wait–only to hear silence–is detrimental. It does not do your soul any good! Instead, use the multitude of strategies & tactics which I teach, in order to position you and your resume directly in front of decision makers.
More Resume Tips….
1) Use job boards to YOUR advantage. Scan them to become well-versed on open positions and companies that are in a growth/expansion mode and/or have an immediate need for new associates.
2) With this information, you now have open positions to target and companies to pinpoint your focus on. Your best strategy is to pursue the positions via Intentional & Powerful Networking (see Blog #10), The Power of Volunteering (see Blog #8) and Research Is King (see Blog #4), just to name a few strategies.
3) Remember the PURPOSE of your Resume. A document structured to share the factual & relevant components of your background: Position Desired, Overview, Experience, Skills, Education, Community Involvement, Certifications, Honors & References. (Review Blog #11 regarding Powerful References)
4) Depending on how long have you have been in the workforce, (in other words how old you are) your resume may need to be more than one page. I recommend keeping the length at two pages.
5) Your resume should be clean, crisp and easy to read. Avoid fancy fonts and font sizes that are smaller than 11 point, as you do not want to make it difficult for the person who is reviewing your resume to read it and comprehend the information.
6) Those who are in the ‘arts’ and ‘creative’ industries have a bit more latitude, as creativity IS your talent. But with that said, don’t go over the top with swirls and curly-q’s and multiple colors of text, as it will get too busy. Allow your creative talents to be showcased within your portfolio.
7) There are many online resume writing services and templates, which include pre-written content that you insert on your resume. If you go this route–you MUST take the time to customize the content. WHY??? If you don’t–you will ‘sound like’ everyone else in your industry, and that is what you are working so hard to avoid!
8) Place your contact information: Name, Address (optional), Email, Phone & LinkedIn Profile URL at the top of the first page. On the second page, it can be a simple line with your name and LinkedIn URL across the top, but it does not need to be the focus, as it was on the first page. Your name should be the largest font on the first page.
9) Your ‘Overview’ is the ‘objective’ part of the resume, whereas, the balance of the information will be factual statements. Combine two or three sentences from your “Introductory Persuasive Bio” into a strong overview statement to insert below your contact information. There must be correlation and fluidity between your Persuasive Bio and your Resume, as you must sound like the same person.
10) Next include Experience, Skills, Transferrable Skills, Education, Community Involvement, Certifications, Honors & References.
Next Week….More Tips on Experience through References!
