If you are struggling to find a job one of the things you may want to examine is how you are going about your job hunt. As a person that has interviewed and hired thousands of people over the years, it has always amazed me how many out there have virtually no idea what companies are looking for. Here are just a few things that will allow you to stand out from the rest of the pack.
You’re Resume
Who needs a resume? EVERYONE needs a resume. I don’t care if you’re looking for the minimum wage job or the $150k career, you NEED a resume. Your resume is your first impression, it is your opportunity to stand out and get noticed by the hiring manager.
A proper resume should be no more than three pages long. First page is a cover page that should be used only when mailing or faxing your resume to a company. This page should consist of your gratitude for the manager taking the time to look over your resume and assuring them that you have the experience to exceed expectations in the position they are looking to fill. This page should be no longer than a five sentence paragraph. Anything longer is wasted; the manager is not going to read it.
Second page should consist of your name and contact info, objective, and work experience. If you have lengthy work experience, cut down on the details of each job as you go further into the past. Try to not include companies you worked for for less than one year unless that is all you have. You will be percieved as a 'job hopper' or 'gypsy'.
Third page should consist of education, military, certifications, charity work, etc, etc. Listing a few references should be on this page as well.
Make sure to print your resume on resume stock paper. Printing it on copy paper makes it blend within the stack. You have to think of your resume as something that needs to stand out in a stack of applications or resumes on someone’s desk. What is going to make them stop at yours?
If you are applying for a position that normally does not require a resume, attach a copy of your resume to the top of the application. Why? We have all heard of times when a company may be hiring 20 positions in an area that has been hit hard economically and they get in the area of 500 applicants. It’s like playing the lotto. Hiring managers won’t even read the first page of the applications; they automatically flip to the work experience page and begin to reduce the stack based on what they see. I guarantee that if you were to attach your resume to the top of your application, you will at the very least be put in the ‘Further Review’ stack.
Here is a list of No No’s for your resume. No matter how absurd they sound, I have seen every single one of them.
1) Don’t curse
2) Don’t hand write your resume
3) Don’t hand write changes on your resume
4) Do not print it on construction paper or paper that is to bright in color
5) Check your spelling and grammer
6) Do not put **DO NOT CALL** next to a former employers name
7) Make sure you use the same Font throughout the resume
I will be posting an interview help guide later this afternoon.
