Nancy is a hiring manager at a local aviation company in Houston. She is sitting in front of her computer scanning countless resumes that came pouring in after she advertised for a job opening at her company. You can hear the rhythmic clicking of computer keys as she works her way down the list, looking for a good resume.
–Delete–
–Delete–
–Delete–
–Delete–
–Delete–
Hmmmm….mmmm…maybe….
–Delete–
–Delete–
–Delete–
This is a good resume! – Save it. Print it. Place it in the call folder.
She glances furtively at her watch… another 5 minutes and she has to be at the first of three meetings scheduled for today. Then she has to finish two reports for finance and then there are 5 employee evals. She prints one resume out of the 30 she just looked at, reviews it briefly and places it in a folder marked “Call For Phone Screening”. “Lunch at my desk today”,she muses as she heads to the meeting.
This scene is playing out in hundreds of offices across town even as you are reading this.
Hiring managers and HR reps are scouring the market for Houston’s best as they search for that one in a million applicant. They have a long way to go and a short time to get there so when you hear that you have about 10 seconds to make an impression…you may only have 8.
Don’t Underestimate The Importance Of A Good Resume
I recently read an article in the Biz Journal which states,
“Never underestimate the importance of a good resume. It can mean the difference between getting or not getting an interview and, subsequently, the job you want.”
How true it is. So how do you, with your one sheet of paper, reach out and grab this busy person’s attention long enough to go to the “CALL THEM” folder?
Here are three tips on writing a good resume that will help you to avoid the “Delete” button and get placed in the “Call” file.
Use A Professional Resume Format
While there may not be one format that is a perfect fit in every situation, stick to the tried and true. Using gimmicks may work in certain situations but more than likely it will get your resume a one way ticket to the trash. If you don’t know how to write a great resume try using Start Your Job Search With A Good Resume From Monster’s Resume Service. It’s reasonably priced, easy to use and has several attractive resume formats available so that anyone can build a good resume that will get the phone ringing. That’s what it’s all about after all.
Keep It Brief
Most professional resume writers recommend a one page resume. Remember, your resume is in a stack of 20,30 or more resumes. The person going through them does not have time to read each one fully. They are scanning it quickly to see if you are a match. If you have two or three pages, depending on how many other resumes they have to review and how much time they have, they may put you at the back of the pile. I have seen it happen.
Get To The Point
That brings us to the third point. You have to let them know very quickly that you possess the skills, abilities and qualifications that they are looking for. A good resume doesn’t make them have to search for it. Put it right at the top and summarize it so when they scan, it jumps out at them.
These three simple points will go a long way toward getting your foot in the door. Your goal is to get an invitation to a phone interview or face to face interview. Use this single sheet of paper to knock down the corporate walls and get you the job.
P.S. – If you didn’t like Monster’s resume service and want to go it on your own, here is a good resume writing guide for do it your selfers.