By Kelly Stone
Albert Einstein once said- "He who joyfully marches in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice."
I don't think he was speaking specifically to job seekers when he said that. But he may as well have because there is nothing in the job search more rank and file than resumes. A great many hopes are pinned on that piece of paper we call a resume. And a great many hopes are dashed by resumes that were created with good intentions but little forethought.
Today's job market demands the changing of jobs more than ever. The Internet has made job searching-and specifically resume posting-more popular than ever. By 2002, there will be more than 16 million resumes online alone. As employers get more and better job candidates due to the advances of technology, a job seeker cannot take chances on a resume that is haphazardly created.
Using Squirt Guns
Have you ever wondered why your great resume rarely results in return phone calls? It is likely because it sits somewhere in a stack of other great resumes. Contrary to popular belief and practice, if you want your resume to get noticed you will not hand it over until you know it will get reviewed.
The first key component of an effective resume has nothing to do with the resume itself. A resume in and of itself is nothing. It is merely a tool for the job seeker. Sadly, many job seekers use the resume as a front line offensive weapon. By itself, it is like using a squirt gun against a cannon.
But the resume, like the squirt gun, can be used effectively for the good of the job seeker if used at the right time and in the right way.
Never let your resume precede you. If possible, arrange first to meet with a hiring manager or someone else in the organization. You can then use the resume like a business card, having had the benefit of leaving an impression all the other resumes have not.
A Resume Is Marketing Collateral
Many job seekers create the resume to read like an autobiography or a travelogue. To many, it could be perceived as a self-centered publication that serves only the needs of the resume creator. A traditional resume in many respects literally screams "This is who I am and what I want!"
How does that appeal to you as a buyer? If you were a hiring manager, what would you want to hear? Wouldn't a resume that highlights features and benefits be more effective?
A resume, after all, is really a marketing piece. Job seekers in effect "sell" themselves to employers through the hiring process and the resume is merely a tool in advancing or closing the sale.
If the job seeker considers the resume in this light then it changes the entire method in which the resume is created. As consumers we may not make a buying decision for a car by looking only at a brochure. But we will consider the prospect a little more if the brochure is effective in gaining our interest through highlighting features and benefits that are important to us. And that is all the resume is supposed to do.
Following the Rules of CHARM
Effective resumes have CHARM. This simple acronym highlights the basic elements of what can be in a resume to make it powerful in the hands of a job seeker that knows how to use it.
"C" stands for having a central message. The central message is the positioning statement. It indicates exactly what it is you do and everything else on the resume in some way ties to it. The central message is direct and communicates to the employer exactly what your contribution might be. Instead of using a traditional "objective statement", you can place your central message as a simple heading like "Sales Manager".
"H" stands for hiring manager. The hiring manager is the target audience. Everything on the resume is written for his or her benefit. The resume addresses the needs of the hiring manager and answers any questions that a hiring manager might have. The resume needs to be targeted at what the hiring manager may care about or how the job seeker can "ease their pain".
"A" stands for access. The resume needs to be a quick read. Hiring managers should be able to find all the relevant information in your resume in the 15-20 seconds they typically devote to scanning it. This is one of the finer distinctions of the resume that many job seekers tend to miss. Judicious use of white space, an attractive format, and logical organization are critical.
"R" stands for relevancy! This is the most important part of the resume. The resume should never contain information that detracts from the central message. You don't need to include every duty, task and responsibility on your resume. Highlight only those most relevant to your central message. Personal information such as hobbies or interests should be omitted unless they expressly apply to the job.
"M" stands for mechanics. The nuts and bolts of a resume are quite simple. For example, the job seeker does not need to say "Resume" at the top of the page. Everyone knows what it is. Resumes need to be electronically scannable, so use basic 10-12 point fonts.
Forget the Objective Statement
How many times have you seen something like this on a resume: "Objective: Currently seeking a challenging position with a progressive, growth-oriented company." What does this really mean? Can you imagine anyone ever saying anything different? Perhaps, "Currently seeking a boring, routine position with a backwards, stagnating company?"
The objective statement used on the resumes of a majority of job seekers rarely serves the needs of the employer. In fact, the objective statement usually only reflects what the job seeker wants and not what the employer needs. That is like a car company using a brochure to sell us a car to say something like "we want you to buy this car so that we can get rich".
The job seeker objective should be made clear enough in the central message. If you insist on using an objective statement, make sure it is clear, concise and specific to the job you want.
More Than One Resume
For all the work it represents, each hiring manager is different and will require a different variation of your resume. While this may be tedious, it is imperative to do so that the right message gets sent to every hiring manager. Especially if that hiring manager is reviewing stacks of resumes in consideration of any given position. However, if you focus your job search efforts on one specific occupational field, then the changes you make should be minimal.
This serves you well in that revisiting your resume over and over actually helps build your resume creation skills. The more a job seeker can study and refine what works effectively in a resume the more powerful their overall presentation will be before a hiring manager.
When it comes to creating a resume, originality through focusing on the potential employer's needs is powerful indeed. Albert Einstein was right about his disdain for everyone that does the same thing as everyone else. But then again, after his stint as a patent clerk, he probably never had to look for a job.
Kelly Stone is the Content Engineer for
myjobsearch.com, publishers of the largest career resource directory on the Internet. Kelly has served job seekers for years as a career counselor and has facilitated many job search and hiring seminars for the careers industry.
