A contributing factor that needlessly drags out a job search focuses on an applicant’s self-serving cover letters and poorly written resumes that simply fail to convey what the applicant can do and how he/she does it. When this factor is multiplied with thousands of template resumes, you have a full-blown lottery in process. What is needed to stand out is a document that conveys engaging content about a person’s career. The key word is “engaging.”

This week, we’ll turn our attention to discussing resume enhancements that will make a difference in standing out from the crowd and move you closer to landing that much-prized job. By applying the following practical advice, you will help prevent needless mistakes from creeping into your resume and rendering your document ineffective.

1. Does your profile statement accurately position you? Most resume readers make their first “trash can” decision after 30 seconds. At this point, if they haven’t been able to figure out what you can offer the company, expect to find your resume immediately rejected. Poor organization, typeface, and layout often contribute to this problem. Including a profile statement or leading with your most relevant skill sets are good solutions.

2. Write your resume with a human reader in mind. It’s unwise to distort the creation of your “business stories” by skewing the language to pass muster with computer scanners and databases. Fortunately, most of the stylistic advice for a “scanner-friendly” resume is consistent with good resume style in general. Yes, document scanning is a fact of life these days, but it’s not a reason to revamp your resume. Write your resume for a human reader and then check it to make sure it is software compatible.

3. Write your accomplishments with the employer’s bottom line in mind. Take a look at your resume from the employer’s perspective: “I’m the company and I’m thinking of investing ‘X’ amount of dollars on you. What is my return on investment?” How you can make the company more profitable is what your resume should scream to the reader, particularly your accomplishments, which should address how a previous employer’s bottom line benefited from your employment. When writing your accomplishments you want to answer this question for the resume reader: Why me? Why should this company select me and not one of the other candidates out of 150 resumes sitting on the employer’s desk?

4. Essentially, employers look for what you can do for them. This won’t sound flattering to most job seekers but, candidly, you are the product that you’re selling and marketing to the resume reader. The ego needs to take a back seat during a job search. Just like in any other sales situation, you sell the sizzle, not the steak. The mindset is not to inform, but to sell, market, showcase your skills and results, highlight what you’ve done for former employers, and emphasize what you can do for a new company. This is where most people miss the mark tremendously.

5. Make your resume a visually appealing document. How your resume looks is as important as the words it contains. As many as a quarter of otherwise excellent resumes are ruined with template layouts. The phrase “you never get a second chance to make a first impression” applies to resumes just as much as it does to dating. Just as you wouldn’t dream of going to a big interview in anything other than your best suit and polished shoes, your resume should score a “10” for how it looks. After all, your resume is the ambassador, your packaging, an extension of yourself. Forget the cookie-cutter formats; give it the Brooks Brothers treatment – conservative and immaculate – and you can’t go wrong.

6. Does your resume reflect a lack of hard numbers? Accomplishments need to be quantified whenever possible. Try dollars, ratios, and percentages but whatever you do, use numbers. The fact is, as long as you aren’t giving away proprietary information, using hard figures is an excellent way to enhance the credibility of your resume. They are definite, objective, and measurable. If your resume doesn’t have them, readers may infer that you didn’t accomplish anything. To enhance the readability of a resume and catch the reader’s eye, always use numbers when talking about money. $150,000 jumps off the page a lot more than one-hundred-fifty-thousand dollars.

7. Does your resume reflect a sense of progress and increasing responsibility? It’s a sign of steady growth and increasing ability if past employers have recognized the individual and promoted him/her within the organization with some degree of frequency. How high up was the individual in each organization he/she worked for and how much responsibility did he/she enjoy before leaving?

Successful people are frequently good at many things, but few are experienced at writing an effective resume.

What do hiring managers want to read in a resume? What will really capture their interest? Our experience strongly indicates that by avoiding the common pitfalls addressed last week and adhering closely to the seven enhancement tips suggested this week, you’ll be well ahead of the competition.

Joe Hodowanes, a career strategy adviser in Tampa, Florida, offers a free resume and career analysis. Fax your resume to (813) 936-0201 or email it to jmwanes@jmwanes.com For questions, call Joe at (813) 936-0091 or visit www.jmwanes.com on the Web. All Job Search Advisor articles on this website are the property of www.jmwanes.com (J.M. Wanes & Associates). You may download
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© 2005 J.M. Wanes & Associates.