Resume myths you can retire: Saving your story for the interview

September 12, 4:08 PMResumes ExaminerLaura Smith-Proulx, CCMC, CPRW, CIC

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Don't save all your key competencies for the interview

Recently, I had a delightful conversation with Jennie Dorris of 5280 Magazine in Denver on the subject of (what else?) effective resumes that catch the attention of employers... and it may have been just as eye-opening for me as it was for her.

What I found is that many job hunters are still adhering to the idea that they can only sell themselves in person, not on paper.

While having confidence in the interview is a must, believing that you can only land a job after getting past the gatekeeper is an outdated notion that can cost you plenty of opportunities.

If you REALLY want to land interviews, you'll need to turn this concept upside down! Get that value proposition and vision of the perfect interview OUT of your head and down on paper INSTEAD.

Why? Well, for starters, the resume presentation you have in mind (the one that holds back the good stuff) won't sway anyone enough to call you.

While you may have been led to believe that you should save your strengths for the interview, you're actually better off presenting your value proposition as FAST as you can so that no one misses it.

I recommend making a list of your top 3-5 qualifiers before even starting your job hunt, then writing your resume around these major themes.

By taking a step back from creating your resume and analyzing what you want the employer to know about you, you'll experience faster results and be considered for opportunities that REALLY match your strengths.