Make the most of your minute on a recruiter's desk
Love or loathe them, a resume starts the process of getting that job you
want. It's the first impression a recruiter, HR executive, or other
hiring professional has of you, so it should be a document that tells
your professional story in an engaging way that -- hopefully -- prompts
the reader to take action by helping you get your foot in the door.
But first, let's take a step back and understand that your resume acts
like a gateway. It's just one part of a whole that is made up of your
LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and any other digital footprint you have
out there. As they are all extensions of you, it's important to have
them reflect back an accurate version of who you are and what your
story's all about. Think about strong brands and how consistent they
are. This also applies to you and your personal brand.
Now comes the "how" of getting noticed. Let's simplify and think of a
resume in terms of structure and content. There are those of us who work
with the standard format and others like the applicant at Airbnb
who took her resume to a whole different galaxy. Not to worry, you
don't have to go there. (Though kudos to her for her hard work and
determination.) However, you do want to get noticed, and here are some
key strategies to make that happen.
"Don't sell yourself short," says Heidi Duss, Founder of Prepster,
a company dedicated to helping individuals make the best first
impression. "A resume ... helps a potential employer understand your
achievements and successes throughout your career." And on the subject
of success, Duss emphasizes putting modesty on the back shelf and,
instead, owning it. It's the fruit of all your hard work, right?
"Think back to the achievements that made you an asset to your previous
employers," says Duss. "Consider not only what you did but also how it
was achieved." Remember to use the power of "X" by "Y," when describing
your accomplishments, as in, "I increased our bottom line by 40% ("X")
by fine-tuning our SEO strategy ("Y")," instead of just "I increased our
bottom line by 40%."
Show numbers as much as is appropriate. People like numbers because they
help set up a context for what you are describing. As an example, if
you did a special internship or got into a competitive program, don't
forget to describe that you were selected out of "X" amount of other
candidates. This helps to give a sense of the kind of selectivity you
were up against.
Also remember the power of using keywords associated with the job
description in your resume. Think of how you scan articles when you're
looking for a particular subject matter. The same goes with recruitment.
Use your words strategically.
And lastly, remember the little things. "Never underestimate the power
of spell check! Have a mentor or friend review your resume for
grammatical errors and ensure that the layout is visually appealing,"
says Duss. It's hard to imagine that after putting your heart and soul
into your resume that it will be looked over in under one minute, but
that is the reality. However, if you make that minute count for the
reader, your voicemail and email inbox might start getting very busy,
very soon.
