JANUARY/FEBRUARY
2007
Building an Effective Resume
By Susan Marsh
Your resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so a prospective employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer's workplace. Your resume also has to sell you in a very short timeframe. While you may have all the requirements for a particular position, your resume fails if the employer does not instantly come to the conclusion that you have what it takes. The hurdle your resume has to pass is whether it ends up in the ‘consider file’ or the ‘reject file’. Unfortunately that consideration usually takes less than thirty seconds. The most effective resumes are clearly focused on a specific job title and address the employer’s requirements for the position. The more you know about the duties and skills required for the job – and organize your resume around these points, the more effective the resume.
Here are some tips to helping you win that job interview.
- Pay attention to detail. Don't cut corners by, for instance, not proofreading the cover letter, failing to include information the advertisement asked for, or beginning the cover letter "Dear Sir or Madam" when the hiring manager's name is on the company website. Take the time to make sure the correspondence and information sent is correct and error-free. Proofread for spelling, grammar, and tone, and make sure you have followed the instructions of the employer.
- Customize your response. Address the hiring manager directly, and include the name of the company and the position for which it is hiring in your cover letter. Use your name and the word ‘resume’ in your e-mail header so it's easy to identify. If the employer asks for information – such as references or certifications – have that prepared so you can forward it right away.
- Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job. You don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment, just strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
- Focus on what you bring to the employer, not what you want from the job. When starting your resume with a Profile Statement or Objective, make sure that you talk about what you will do for the company and steer away from using this statement to tell them what you want. (Example: Career Objective – Utilize my three years of customer service and personal training experience to help an organization in the fitness industry deliver world class service). What can you do to make the hiring manager's life easier? What can you do to help the company?
- Match the need the company has. Each position will usually have a brief blurb about the company and the position available. Use the keywords listed in these ads, and match them to the bullet points in your resume. The person (or data base scan) reviewing the resume is often looking for keywords that relate to the position, so not including them could mean your resume is disregarded as a non-match.
- Use action words. Use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented. The words will make the resume stand out and the format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
- Use measurables and be specific. Dollar totals, numbers, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Remember, being specific does not necessarily mean being lengthy.
Examples:
- Managed 18 Personal Trainers with a budget of 1.5 million dollars
- Increased membership sales by 45% in two years
- Be professional. You have to be accessible so make sure you have an e-mail address and voicemail. If you don't have e-mail, set up an account through a free e-mail service. It’s also a good idea to discard the cute or funny e-mail address and voicemail message in favour of something that sounds professional. You won’t be taken seriously when the prospective employer has to answer an e-mail from greatpipes@. Also, sending an e-mail is a convenient method of communication, however, don't let the informality of e-mail correspondence trickle into your communication.
Remember, your resume is a selling tool that tells potential employers about you and the qualities and experience that make you a good worker. Put yourself in the position of the employer who has certain criteria in mind and ask yourself: ‘What information needs to be in my resume that would make the employer want to meet with me?” A professional, well-prepared résumé can make the difference in getting the job you want. Good luck!
Sue graduated with a Bachelor in Human Kinetics from University of Windsor. She worked with GoodLife Fitness Clubs for 14 years, more than five years as the Director of Personnel. As Director, Sue was responsible for the recruitment and selection, training and development, performance management, compensation and benefits, and employee relations of over 3000 employees. Now in Human Resources in the financial service industry, Sue continues to build her HR knowledge and expertise. Sue has her certification in Human Resource Management and is a member of the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario. Contact Sue at: susanmarsh@sympatico.ca
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