Standing out in today's crowded career marketplace is a highly critical component of being able to land the most coveted jobs available. Having been in the recruiting business over the past decade, more than ever before, this is the time to make sure you are standing head and shoulders above your peers in the job market. The easiest place to start? Your resume. In my line of work as a professional headhunter or more eloquently stated, an executive search consultant, I see thousands of resumes per year come across my desk. I'm highly qualified in the art of the first impression, specifically on paper. The main way to master the art of the first impression if you are a job seeker? In 30 seconds or less convince your reader how amazing you are.
When it comes to hiring, corporate managers and executive recruiters alike look for certain things right off the bat. The key is making sure your resume has the right mix of style and substance. There are certain factors that are just out of your control, such as reading styles and hiring approach. What I mean is, half of us analyze to immediately vet out, the other half of us analyze to immediately vet in. Some read for accomplishments and some read for buzzwords. You can only control so much of the above, but what you can completely control is your amazing factor; that delicate balance between style and substance.
Your amazing factor is my first requirement when reading a resume. I want to be WOWED - in 30 seconds or less. I'm looking for something unique, spectacular and tangibly relevant about you and the job you are applying for. Is that too much to ask? Maybe. Maybe not. It's critical whether you are an engineer, scientist or salesman that your amazing factor be screaming loud and clear, otherwise your resume won't have a pulse. The only thing amazing about it will be the pace at which it's sent to the email archives. Trust me.
I've seen myself and other managers passing on a lot of resumes lately, not because of format, candidate experience or education, but because of the resumes inability to make a quick impact. Take a look at your resume. Get in the best mentally objective mode you can and think of yourself as the CEO of the company you are looking to get hired by. Take a look at the job description of which you are applying. Read it thoroughly. Now put a cooking timer on the kitchen table and set it for 30 seconds. Start reading. When the timer goes off ask yourself what impression did you get about your resume and yourself from reading it? Would you hire you? 30 seconds is all you get, that's it.
Most corporate managers, human resources personnel and executive recruiters spend 30 seconds reading through 1/3 of the first page of your resume. In those crucial 30 seconds and 1/3 of the first page of reading about your entire professional history (which unfortunately decides whether you go to the left pile or right pile) do you feel like you made a convincing argument that you are amazing? If so, then your future is bright and don't be surprised what doors your resume may open for you. If not, think about what is amazing about your professional achievements and make sure it is shouting out to the world in 30 seconds or less on your new resume. Remember, if a tree falls in the middle of a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
Comments