In many cases employers, especially regarding entry level positions, are only receiving applications from prospective employees. And, as you've read from my previous posts and tweets, employers are often receiving hundreds of applications for a single opening. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a quality resume. I know you have heard that resumes are important, but I don't think many people realize why.
- It Helps You Stand Out
When you submit an application to a prospective employer, you are handing in a few sheets of paper almost identical to everyone else who is vying for the same position. The format is always the same. All the little lines and boxes that you have painstakingly taken the time to enter information about your distinguished career line up with all the other little lines and boxes everyone else has filled out. Basic information about your education and employment experience neatly overlaps with all other applicants in a pile of applications. It's monotonous. Hiring managers are trying not to doze off or zone out while reviewing the same information over and over again ad infinitum.
A good resume, on the other hand, can make an employer pause. They stop flipping through the monotony and spend more time on who you are and what you might be able to bring to their business.
- It Paints A Better Picture
A resume should NOT be identical to your job application. The application you filled out already has the dates of employment, addresses, and why you left. A good resume gives a prospective employer more information about your skills and experience.
Use your resume to tell specific details about your experiences. Were you a supervisor? That might look fine under "Previous Job Title" on an application, but what does that really mean? Use your resume to show how you managed X number of employees, how you covered shifts when employees called in sick, and how you generated monthly reports, etc.
- It Shows Effort
A good resume shows that you take this job seriously. You have taken the time to develop a narrative about what kind of employee you have been in the past. You want this job, and you are willing to take extra steps that an applicant without a resume may not be willing to take.
There are other things to keep in mind when drafting a resume. What better highlights your employment experiences, a traditional or a functional resume? Personally, I prefer to use a functional resume. Take the time to research sample resumes on the internet and find which one works best for you.
Be concise:
Tell your reader pertinent information about your experiences but don't bore them. Is it really important that one of your job responsibilities was to take out the trash in the office at the end of the day? If you are applying for a position as a janitor, then yes, if not, leave it out.
Tailor your resume:
I alter my client's resumes and help them tailor it to fit the job description. Did you answer phones and answer customer questions at the restaurant you worked at? Highlight that experience for the administrative assistant position you are applying for. Make it seem that, even though you didn't work in an office, you still performed the duties of an administrative assistant.
Be careful about embellishing:
It's okay to brag a little on a resume, and it can be okay in some cases to highlight some of your smaller duties to tailor your resume to fit the position you are applying for. But beware of what you write. Employers are very inclined to verify your previous employment. Although most corporate employers will only verify a previous employee's job position, salary, dates of employment, and eligibility for rehire (for fear of being wrapped up in a law suit), mom and pop shops sometimes go in detail about previous employees. I have, at times, heard stories about my clients when I perform employment verifications.
Are you tech or social media savvy?
Do you have a Linked In profile? Do you have an interesting blog or twitter feed? Use this to your advantage. I like to add a QR code to mine or my client's resumes that links to a URL that better markets their capabilities. There are two advantages to adding a QR code.
The first one goes back to helping you stand out. QR codes grab peoples attention. Not everyone has a smart phone, and those that do don't necessarily have QR code readers. But, if a hiring manager does have a QR reader, they may be compelled to see what it links to. Sometimes I find myself curious about scanning a QR code even though I know it will lead to a website that won't interest me. If an employer does manager to scan your code, you are given another opportunity to show them more about who you are and what you are capable of.
The second advantage to using a QR code is that it already shows that you are tech savvy. Although large corporations have already jumped on the social media bandwagon, smaller corporations and employers are starting to realize social media can be advantageous for them. I'm finding out that, at least in my region, many of the small business owners and executives in small corporations do not understand social media and do not have the time to figure it out. They are starting to ask their employees for help, and many of them may not know how to use social media. Being savvy can show an employer you have a skill they may be able to utilize that may be unrelated to the position you are applying for.
Beware of your digital footprint:
That being said, make sure the social media you use will benefit you as a prospective employee. Your sports blog may be a great link for the journalism position you've applied for, but the blog about how hard you party may not go over so well.
Well, that's it for this blog. I will blog soon with information about what makes a good cover letter and how to prepare for an interview.
Good luck out there, and don't give up trying.
Matt Cortez
Job Developer
