Sunday, February 15, 2009

Résumé mistake 1: It reads like a job description

There are numerous books and articles about resume writing. Based on the résumés I've been seeing lately though, it appears the message has not hit home yet.

The number 1 job your résumé has it to market YOU. What is your brand? What are you offering the employer? If your résumé does this well, and the employer sees a possibility you fill their needs, your résumé will help in getting you an interview.


Anyone can file, write business correspondence and provide customer service. Everyone is a team player on their résumé. What is your proof?


Look back to your career. How have you completed deliverables? Did you do them on time? What was the result? How many people did you manage? How did you improve from quarter 1 to quarter 2? What is your error rate?
Study your industry and find out the measurements that matter. Frame your achievements using these measurements and include them in your résumé.

If your résumé looks like a job description, forget it. Competition is tough out there. Assume that everyone else is good and competent. Meeting just the minimum requirements is not enough.

Remember, write your résumé from a branding point of view. It is not meant to be a litany of your duties. Point out your best marketable skills and achievements that helped your previous employers.

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