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Why Have a Resume?
Marketing Goals
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In many ways a resume is like a magazine advertisement. An ad placed in a magazine crowded with similar ads has to attract your attention, be easy to read, and be full of benefits to you, the reader. Otherwise, you will pass right over it and not even bother to read it. If an ad is any good at all, it will pique your interest so that you will want to find out more about the product and order it immediately!
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1. Get an Interview!
The primary marketing goal of a resume is to get an interview (an order for your product - YOU). Unfortunately, many of the resumes that employers receive are cookie-cutter versions of the standard reverse chronological resume that tells them very little about the person behind the resume.
Think of your resume like that magazine advertisement. You will probably have 8 to 10 seconds to get the employer's attention and keep it. The employer is your target audience for your "marketing piece" - your resume.
- What do you think will grab the attention and interest of this employer?
- What industry is it? What industry niche? Are you changing industries? If so, you need to make a strong case.
- What kind of job are you targeting? Is it entry-level? Senior Management? In between?
- Do you already have a "warm contact" with this company?
- What might the employer be looking for in terms of benefits? How would your past experience, skills and knowldege be of value?
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2. Present Your Strengths and Benefits
Many resumes are simply lists of features often crammed into a one-page format with small font, narrow margins, and little white space. These features are similar to a list of ingredients on a food label: sugar, water, dextrose, and red dye #2.
In resume terms, the typical resume looks like a job description list: I worked at the following places for these periods of time, my job titles were this and that, and my duties and responsibilities were a little of this and a little of that.
However, the secret behind good resumes is going beyond the features and telling the employer - the "buyer" - directly about the benefits. It's answering the employer's question: "What's in it for me?"
3. Demonstrate What You Can Do
Your resume must clearly show what you can do for the employer in terms of what you have done for others - solve problems, increase sales, improve employee motivation, cut costs, streamline procedures, for example. And you need to do it in a way that the employer can visualize - it must be relevant to the employer's needs.
Use dollar amounts, numbers, percentages, and descriptive results. Relevant achievements, with clearly applicable benefits for the employer, will make the "buyer" want to see you even if there is no immediate opening. That's because employers always have problems to solve!
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4. Link Your Skills and Experience to the Employer's Needs
Go beyond listing your duties and responsibilities. What did you actually accomplish? What was the difference between your doing the job and someone else who would have been just a "seat-warmer"? In addition, dig deep into the prospective employer's needs. Every industry has problems and concerns. Couple that information with what you can find out about a particular employer. Then customize your resume to attract your audience - and keep them interested.
Doesn't it make more sense to put some extra effort and time up front to ensure a positive response, rather than putting your time in waiting for the phone to ring? Often the person to whom you send the resume still has to "sell" you as a candidate to their boss. Why not give them the tools to work with - dynamic, benefits-laden information that will do the sell for them?
5. Answer the Question: Why Should I Hire YOU?
Give the employer a good reason (preferably many) to buy your product - you! Outperform others with similar qualifications and experience by putting together a resume that demonstrates you are productive (achievements), a continuous learner (nobody buys old knowledge), adaptable to change, and a team player.
It does take time to develop a good resume. Make it easy for the employer to picture you doing the job, and doing it well. Give the employer - the "buyer" - some tantilizing, results-packed scenarios of interest and you will find your resume-to-interview ratio will skyrocket!
Good luck in your job search, and spin some Resume-Magic!
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