Resume tips. From so-so to Wow!

My business writes more resumes at this time of year than at any other. My theory is that once the New Year starts, career-progress hopefuls attempt to update their own documents, yet after a few weeks of trying, decide that working with a professional may ultimately get them better results, despite the $100 to $750 fee. However these tips can help you get professional results for a fraction of the cost:

• Be clear on what you want your resume to accomplish. A successful resume is designed to help get you in the door for appealing opportunities. Having a defined career focus helps you prioritize which information it makes sense to include and highlight. Simply documenting your work history isn’t enough to win the favor of hiring managers—they look at thousands of resumes, typically spending less than 10 seconds on each application. To move to the next step in their process, you need to quickly connect the dots for them about why you’re the right person for their position. Also, as someone once said to me, “Who likes to read history?” Not many of us, so make your information concise and compelling.
• Include the results of your efforts. How did you help your employers make money, save money, improve quality or improve their image? Be specific about this, and when possible, include metrics to help tell your story. A resume screener uses a different portion of her brain when she encounters numerical digits, causing her to slow down and read your resume more carefully. That, plus digital results—percentage increases in profits, costs reduced, etc.—position you as more credible and effective.
• Research eye-catching layouts on line. Do a Google search of “effective resume formats” and select the Images tab to see hundreds of possible designs. Notice which draw your attention, and consider formatting yours similarly.
• As a final step, ask a professional resume writer to buff yours up for you. In my business we call this a polish, and in just 15 minutes an experienced resume specialist can take your resume from so-so to wow!