The objective of a resume is to create a heightened interest from the hiring managers. You want them to say “This is someone I need to talk to as they have what I need!”. Since a great resume will do the trick, what are the dos and don’ts to trigger a screening phone or zoom interview?
The first question to ask yourself is, what’s the hiring manager looking for in a candidate? The answer is always in the position description. The second question is, what experiences do I have that will meet or exceed the key elements in the job description? The closer you come to matching the requirements, the better chance you have to become a top candidate. You need at least a 75% or greater match.
A great resume will validate that your skills, experience and results are convertible to the open position. Highlight your transferable competency which shows that you don’t need a lot of training to become a high performer. If the hiring manager needs to open up a new market, or create a manufacturing line, your past success in those areas will make you a high priority candidate.
Stop using a lot of over-the-top self-serving words like “outstanding leader”, “excellent communicator” or “results driven”. Some superlatives are okay, but defining your measurable results is much better. Saying you get “great results” is much weaker than saying that you “increased revenue by 10%”. This is especially true if the hiring manager is looking to increase revenue.
A great resume makes the hiring manager ask the question, “I need to find out how they got those results”. The “how” question is the key to getting a screening interview. If you have gotten the results that a hiring manager is looking for, they want to know the path to results for them. You have a terrific advantage over all others if you can use your resume to guide the hiring manager through your word-picture.
Make sure your resume is not filled with too many I, we, or me words. Hiring managers are looking for team members. If you don’t fit the culture of cooperation and group support, you’ll never get an interview. One of the few individual contributors who doesn’t need to be a team player is the independent sales person who digs out new customers on their own. But they are few and far between. Use team words like we, our, and team effort.
A great resume will include specific information that satisfies the hiring manager that you are more qualified for the job than others. Two areas that must be a part of your resume are technological skills and specialized courses or advanced certifications that demonstrate your expertise. Examples that are in demand are: PMP (Project Management Professional), Six Sigma, technical certifications, advanced courses, and so on.
The best content for a great resume are items that differentiates you from all other candidates.
For a FREE confidential critique of your resume, send to: wkaufmann44@gmail.com