How many resumes are received for a job offer?
A lot.
Of course, it depends on the position, the industry and the demand; and what little research i found was an average of 75 for each position in 2009 and up to 250 for each position in 2013.
Needless to say, there is a lot of competition for the big jobs. So many that many companies use the software as a first step to weed out a vast majority in an attempt to come up with a manageable number to review.
With all this competition from other candidates and computers weeding you out, why would you want your resume to look like everyone else’s when you’re not like everyone else?
The common sense answer is that you wouldn’t; however, the difficulty is figuring out how to make your resume sound like you to get the attention you want and deserve.
Here are some tips and suggestions to make your resume your own and stand out from the crowd:
1. Know what you are selling
Your resume is your personal sales statement. In order to sell any product, you must know the features and benefits. What do you bring to the table, how can you add value, what makes you better at what you do than your competition?
2. The proof is in the pudding
It’s not enough to tell a potential employer that you have x years of experience in a field. Time does not equal quality or value. Haven’t you ever worked with someone who’s been in a company for a long time and wonder how he’s still there because he has no idea what he’s doing? Exactly.
It is important to demonstrate your experience, skills and value. Instead of telling them that you prepare reports (no value, just statement), demonstrate the value of this task, perhaps something like, “compile and submit x monthly reports that identify new avenues and opportunities for growth.” What is the value of what you do?
3. Duties vs. Worth
To be frank: no one cares what you were hired to do; they care what you did. Listing job duties as bullet points is simply posting your job description on your resume. It only tells the reader what you were hired to do, which shows no value.
To determine value, think about these questions:
Who do you work with?
How do you work with them?
What do you do for a living?
Who benefits?
What is the value received for doing what you do?
From there, you can create a value-focused bullet point for each task by integrating the answers to these questions into your bullet point.
4. Templates are a start
There are many templates available to use when creating your resume. These are fine, as a start; however, they do not customize your resume for you. If you don’t know how to get started, templates can be a good starting point. Just remember to customize it after you fill in the blanks.
5. If this is you, it should sound like you
We each have our own style and that can’t be captured in a template or sound like everyone else. If you are very dynamic, see more of what you want and use words that reflect that side of you. If, on the other hand, you’re a behind-the-scenes type of person who uses dynamic words, it’s counterintuitive.
Think of it this way: When you read a book, you get a picture of a character based on the words that are presented. This helps your mind to form an image of that character in your mind. The same thing happens when someone reads your resume: a picture of you is being formed based on the words you think of.
6. Research
Keywords are king. If you’re having trouble finding the right keywords, search for job postings for the position you’re looking for, copy and paste them on tagcrowd.com; This gives you a word cloud of the keywords used in the post.
Another option is to Google similar resumes to see what phrases or keywords are used. Don’t copy and paste the entire resume, just use them to sample and personalize them.
While searching for similar resumes, click on Google’s “Images” tab and look at them from a visual perspective. At this point, don’t read them, just let your eye drift over the many, many resumes in front of you and see what naturally appeals to you. You can then emulate this design in your own style.
7. Would you hire yourself?
Writing your resume is a daunting task and not fun at all. Sometimes we get so caught up trying to say the right thing that we end up saying nothing. Take a step back from your resume and read it as if you were the hiring manager and ask yourself, “Would I hire this person and why?”
Challenge yourself to show that you own that next job, and make sure your sales presentation supports that sentiment.
Finally, relax and don’t try to write the only summary of all time in one place. Your resume will need to be adjusted and modified for each position. It is an evolution at every step, so allow yourself to grow and modify it as you go through the process.
The first resume you write may not be the worst or the best, but through the process of revisions, tweaks, research, and modifications, the real you will come out and catch the eye of the right hiring manager for the right job!