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Friday, February 6, 2015

Black Jack! Top 21 Ways Customize Your Resume and Get the Interview!


You search hard for the perfect jobs to apply to.  Shouldn't your resume and other application materials be customized for each job and company/entity you are applying to?  Your application materials are a reflection of who you are, the pride you take in your work, and it is the first impression a prospective employer has of you.

Ask yourself these questions 'before' you hit submit!
1. Does my resume reflect me as an ideal candidate?
2. What was emphasized in the job listing and how did I tailor my responses and resume to meet the employer's needs?
3. Have I shown off my most relevant experiences?
4. Have I focused on accomplishments or just my duties?
5. Don't just post your accomplishments, explain how you achieved them!
6. Have I exaggerated too much or not said enough?
7. Read other people's resumes, such as on LinkedIn for similar positions.  Can I borrow or paraphrase some of the same language?
8. Have I gotten my resume down to one page?  Can I justify it being more than one page?  If so, make sure to put the most relevant information on the first page!
9. If you bullet list things, put the most important information first!
10. Get rid of resume fluff!  Get to the point and use as few words as possible.  Sound bite it!  Elevator speech it!  Give them the executive summary!
12. Avoid silly adjectives/adverbs/buzz words.  Instead, give solid examples of your successes.  If you must use adjectives/adverbs, use "power" verbs, such as directed, improved, launched, etc. Avoid job jargon, though, even if 'you' think it is more precise.

13. Use powerful words to describe your top accomplishment(s)

14.  Wherever possible, quantify your accomplishments!  Example: increased sales by 120% in first quarter on the job.

15. Don't repeat words.  Don't repeat words.

16. Divide your resume into categories such as Experience, Education, Skills, etc, but lay it out logically.

17. Ask a mentor or colleague to read over your resume and to be brutally honest.  Ideally, ask someone outside the equation to look it over and give you honest feedback.

18. Make sure your resume is up to date in terms of the people/places you have worked.  Example: has an old employer's business name, address or contact information changed?
19. Embellish your resume, but do not fictionalize your job titles!

20. Double-check all employment, education dates, and your contact information and proofread the whole thing carefully!  If you have the email address, "mrluck@hotmail.com" consider getting a separate, professional one, such as "johndoe@gmail.com".

21.Save your resume as a PDF so you don't inadvertently save a mistake.  Then, save your resume with a helpful name, such as Last Name, First Name - Resume.  When submitting it, include a job id number or title in the file name if appropriate.

Do this all and Blackjack!  You will get more call backs!



As always, it is our belief that these guys write quite possibly the best Resumes on the Internet!  MyStatementofPurpose.com


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