By Kevin Donlin, Guaranteed Resumes
Focus and repetition are two key part of every successful advertising campaign. It's how billions of dollars in cars, coffee, cookware -- you name it -- are sold.
Why not borrow this strategy for your job search?
In your case, create an attractive, focused theme for yourself, then repeat it three times -- in your resume, your job interview and the thank-you letter(s) you send.
Focus in your resume
When writing your resume, remember to tell employers exactly what you can do. Don't force them to figure it out for themselves.
The best way to do this is to start your resume with a clear objective. It shows that you know exactly what job the employer is trying to fill. Example:
OBJECTIVE
Restaurant Manager where more than 10 years of experience in food service and management will add value to operations.
If you don't know the job title, focus on the 2-3 skills you want to use, which gives you the flexibility to apply for different positions. Example:
OBJECTIVE
Position where more than 12 years of sales, management and operations experience will add to profitability.
Focus in your job interview
Use the job interview to reinforce the theme you developed in your resume. Be sure you are able to elaborate on every point in that resume.
If you focused on the skills of sales, management and operations, for example, have additional facts, figures and/or letters of recommendation that you can share with interviewers to prove you have those skills.
Focus in your thank-you letter
Follow the same logic in your post-interview thank-you letter. Get the correctly spelled name of everyone you met in the interview, either from business cards or the receptionist.
For best results, write your letters in the lobby before leaving and drop them in the nearest mailbox. That way, they'll arrive the next day.
In your thank-you letters, reinforce the skills and character traits you've already talked about in your resume and job interview. This is a final opportunity for you to hammer home the advantages of hiring you!
Every successful advertiser knows that focus and repetition produce results. If you focus on 2-3 attractive skills/traits and reinforce them in your resume, job interview and thank-you letters, you'll see results in your job search.
Best of luck to you!
-- Kevin Donlin is the author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," a do-it-yourself manual that will help you find a job in 30 days ... or your money back. For more information, please visit http://www.collegerecruiter.com/guaranteed-resumes.php
