Traditional Resumes Are Worthless
In a previous article,ň€ťResumes Have Only One Purpose,ň€ť I wrote the only reason for a resume is to get an interview. That is all it is good for. It isnň€™t to get a job. Candidates forget this. As a result, they want to include a lot of unimportant and sometimes irrelevant information on the resume. You only need enough information on the resume to get an interview. Everything else is over kill.This is why, ň€śTraditional resumes are worthless.ň€ť
With all this extra information the important and relevant information is lost in the clutter. Most people only spend between 10 and 20 seconds on the first screen. If your resume doesnň€™t catch their eye in that time it is discarded.
We believe for this reason the important and relevant points have to stand out so they donň€™t get overlooked. There canň€™t be a lot of useless information cluttering up the resume.
The fact is every resume is simply a marketing document. Its purpose is to catch the readerň€™s attention, get to the readerň€™s underlying motivation, have them read it and invite you in for an interview. Sounds similar to any advertisement or marketing brochure.
Marketing whether in print or electronically doesnň€™t try and attract everyone with one advertisement. Companies well know as ň€śmarketingň€ť companies, Nike, Coke, McDonalds, Apple have multiple ads each with a specific purpose to reach a specific customer. They are very targeted with the listenerň€™s or readerň€™s motivations in mind. They rarely if ever assume one-size-fits-all.
Candidates resumes on the other hand often assume a one-size-fits-all. Most candidates put together a generic resume, all about them, with what they think is important and relevant, then cross their fingers and hope it gets to the readerň€™s underlying motivations. It rarely if ever does.
Change your paradigm about your resume. Begin thinking of it as a marketing document. Ask yourself, ň€śIs this relevant to the specific needs of this hiring manager or company?ň€ť Have you targeted the readerň€™s motivation rather than yours? Do the bullet points hit the target like a bullet or more like a shotgun? Do the important and relevant points stand out? (Without highlighting or gimmicks). Are you helping them with their pain? Do the bullet points help them solve their problems? Is your resume about you or them?
For all those wondering, yes this means you may have more than one marketing document (resume). Just like companies do. There is no law that says you canň€™t. There is only one rule regarding resumes, everything on it must be completely honest and verifiable. That is it.
In summary, target your resume. Make it a marketing document instead of a resume. Get away from the generic traditional one-size-fits-all. Build a marketing document with the readerň€™s motivation in mind.
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For help with your resume we offer a complete resume development system. The CDs, templates and examples will ensure you have a marketing document. To review our ň€śComplete Resume Systemň€ť CLICK HERE. Many charge as much as $500 for the generic one. Our complete system is less than 10% of that.
You can also download for FREE on our website our, ň€śJob Search Self Assessment Scorecard.ň€ť Take the assessment and see how effective your search is and what you can do to improve in the areas you arenň€™t excelling.