The best resume ever achieves two goals. First and foremost, it results in an interview. Second, it prepares you to ace that interview by reminding you of all you have achieved during your career and why you are a great fit for the position.
As a professional resume writer, my goal is to have every resume result in an interview and give a job seeker confidence and pride in his or her accomplishments, skills, and education. How do I work toward that goal?
- By not simply taking a job seeker’s word for what they have achieved. I ask questions that often elicit facts that the job seeker overlooked and achievements that the job seeker downplayed—important information that any recruiter or hiring manager wants to know and important information for the job seeker to share during the interview.
- By making sure that all the information in the resume supports the specific job search. Often, job seekers, eager for any job, will send out a resume that is so generic or broad that it is suitable for no job. Or the job seeker will describe responsibilities (“sold shoes”) instead of accomplishments (“sold 25 pairs of shoes daily, 10% over average sales for other sales associates”); or will waste space on irrelevant information. With a targeted resume, job seekers need not struggle to recall their greatest successes; how they overcame a challenge; or why they are a great fit for this company.
- By organizing information to give the strongest initial impression: at the first glance a hiring manager or recruiter knows that this person has what it takes to succeed at the company and the job. Moreover, the right keywords are taken from the job posting or advertisement so that an applicant tracking system pulls that resume as a match for the job requirements. Finally, because those keywords are in the resume, the job applicant knows what words the interviewer is hoping to hear.
- By making sure that the job seeker’s online presence and resume support each other. Few things are more embarrassing at an interview than having to explain contradictions between a resume and an outdated online profile (for example, on Pinterest or LinkedIn) or worse yet to explain away an online rant or photo that raises questions.
- By advising job seekers through this blog, webinars, and articles to give themselves credit for what they have achieved and to seek help when their job search bogs down. As a Certified Job and Career Transition Coach and as a Master Career Director (MCD), as well as a professionally certified resume writer, I keep up with the latest trends in both resumes and the job market, to give you a resume that meets the expectations of today’s recruiters and hiring managers.
A resume written by a professional resume writer advances a job seeker through to the interview and helps ensure that the interview goes smoothly. Contact me today for the professional resume writing assistance that you need.