Career Success Coaching

Is your résumé generating the interviews you deserve?
Research results indicate that:

• Only one interview is granted for every 50 to 100 résumés received by the average employer.
• Initially your résumé will be perused quickly (about 15 seconds worth) rather than read thoroughly.
• The decision to interview a prospective candidate is usually based on an overall first impression of the document.
• The top 50% of the first page of your résumé will either win you an interview or lead to the circular file.

I Craft a profile that appeals to employer’s requirements to open doors
You only have one chance to make a first impression, and it’s essential to do this by capturing the reader’s interest immediately or your resume will be “filed.” Picture yourself as a hiring decision-maker searching for a candidate with specific qualifications and experience. So, to present yourself as the truly exceptional candidate, your résumé has to appeal directly to the employer’s needs in the first few words. Include your value proposition in the top half of the first page.

Think of your résumé as an advertisement designed to get the reader to call you for an interview and craft your profile at the top of your resume to include a clear, compelling statement of the tangible benefits you bring to your potential employer-without fluff or generalities.

II Identify your brand – your unique differentiators
Begin by identifying what factors differentiate you from your competition. What unique talents, qualities, strengths or expertise do you bring to the table? For example, are you a rainmaker, turnaround guru or industry innovator? Make sure you present your unique differentiators on your resume as a tagline in your profile and then illustrate the results you produced with these talents in the employment section of your resume.

III Take inventory of your contributions
If you are like most people, you have underestimated your value in the employment market and do not enjoy the thought of selling anything, let alone yourself. And, like most people, you may not fully realize the depth of skills, accomplishments and expertise you have to offer.

Before you begin to write, take an inventory of your contributions to each of your employers. Ask yourself these key questions: What have I done to help my employer?

• make money,
• save money,
• save time,
• make work easier,
• solve a specific problem,
• be more competitive,
• be more efficient,
• build relationships with customers,
• expand the business,
• attract new customers or staff
• retain customers.

The outcome of this exercise will lead you directly to the accomplishments to state in your resume and to the basis of the success stories to use in your interviews.

IV Employers and recruiters prefer reverse chronology formats
Choosing the best format for your particular background and situation is yet another important factor. What seems appropriate for one person may not necessarily present you in the best light, depending upon your particular employment history.

If you have a progressive history and plan to continue in your profession, a reverse chronological format works to your advantage. However, if you are changing your career, consider using a hybrid format that features your transferable skill sets in the first section of your resume, followed by your employment history. See below a sample of a corporate executive client seeking a career transition into the non-profit arena.

________________________________________________________________
VALUE OFFERED AS COO / EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / VICE PRESIDENT
Focus: Non-profit Organizations & Associations
________________________________________________________________ Strategic leader who provides energy and vision to drive forward organizational development, revenue growth and profitability. Hands-on executive who leads by example and promotes an environment of open communications that motivates management team/staff to work in concert and achieve exceptional results.

• General management qualifications encompass P&L responsibility, financial acumen, business development combined with experience across all business functions.
• Expert in analyzing operations and building a scaleable organizational infrastructure, program model and integrated services-along with implementation of best practices.
• Persuasive and effective in building internal/external coalitions and consensus, quickly instilling trust and gaining credibility at all levels.
• Deep appreciation of and dedication to serving the mission of non-profit organizations.

Typically, functional style resumes are not well received by employers and recruiters. They automatically assume you have something to hide, and find it difficult to find the information they want.

V Asses your resume’s overall impact and minimize pitfalls

Review your résumé with a few friends to determine the overall impact it has on the reader. Does it present any of the following potential obstacles toward serious consideration? If so, make sure to minimize those factors to your best advantage.

• Your job titles are not progressive or similar to the type of position you are seeking. Solution: Next to the job title list a functional description that relates to your job target. For example: Insurance Consultant (B2B Sales.)
• You have been unemployed for a several years. Solution: Insert a statement such as Educational Sabbatical or Personal Sabbatical and the dates since your last position.
• Your experience history spans 20 years or more. Solution: Include only the past 10-15 years of experience.
• You have held a series of positions in only a few years. Solution: Eliminate positions that are less than 12 months.
• Your work history has gaps. Solution: Minimize gaps by omitting months; use only years.
• You appear to be short on achievements or appear to have none at all. Solution: Take complete inventory of your contributions and make sure to include 3-5 accomplishments per job on your resume.

In addition to helping you land the interview, an exceptional resume will increase your chances to maximize your compensation package. It can add 10% to 30% to your starting salary. Over a period of years this can add up to many thousands of dollars.

This article was written by Louise Garver, Career Success’s Coaching’s award winning certified resume writer and President of Career Directions, LLC. Her resumes position our job-seeking clients above the competition and help them access the decision makers they need to reach. You may contact Louise for a complimentary resume review at . As a special bonus, Louise is offering Mino’s Career Success Blog readers a 15% discount on her services through Oct 1.