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Is Your Resume Getting You Interviews? Some Ideas for a More Effective Resume |
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With the job market so tight, employers can choose from a large talent pool. If you want to get your foot in the door, a very good resume is a must. Here are some basics to a superior resume. - Don't have just one resume. Instead of sending the same resume to every company, tailor your resume to individual employers.
- Think through the challenges the employer might be facing. The job description is just the start. Research the company and its industry and clearly demonstrate how your skills translate into solving specific problems.
- Use bullets and short sentences. People reading your resume are very busy. Make it easy for them to scan your resume and quickly understand your experience and accomplishments.
- Include specific support for your strengths. Don't provide a laundry list of qualities, and skills, such as "I'm a team player." Use examples from work and life that back up your qualifications.
- Explain your professional achievements. Quantifying your successes can be a huge plus. Don't simply say you "saved the company money." How much did you save them? How did you do it?
- Use descriptive job titles. You've only got a few seconds to make an impression on the screener. Rather than a generic career title such as "marketing," use something like "marketing manager, consumer products."
- Keep it short. A resume shouldn't be more than two pages. If you can cut it to one page without omitting important information, do it.
- Get noticed with action verbs. Begin appropriate sentences (and all of your bullet points) with a word that describes what you've done. "Increased sales," "led initiative," or "headed a team" are just a few examples.
- Make it visually attractive. White space between lines and paragraphs makes your resume less crammed and easier to read. You should do this even if it results in a second page. Avoid background colors, un-businesslike fonts, or pictures.
- Beat computer screening. When you submit a resume via the internet, many companies use keyword searches to find interviewees. To be considered, include specific keywords from the job description, which help you discover what the employer is looking for.
Writing a great resume isn't easy. If you have trouble writing yours or if you're not getting interviews, a professional resume writing service can help.
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