Exceptional Resumes = Interviews!

Is Your Resume Generating the Interviews You Deserve? Research results indicate that:

• Only one interview is granted for every 50 to 100 resumes received by the average employer.
• Initially your resume will be perused quickly (about 15 seconds worth) rather than read thoroughly.
• The decision to interview a prospective candidate is usually based on an overall first impression of the document.
• The top 50% of the first page of your resume will either win you an interview or lead to the circular file.
• A superior resume can position you for a 10% to 30% or more gain in your starting salary.

That's the reason it's so important to capture the reader's interest immediately. Picture yourself as a hiring decision-maker who is searching for a candidate with specific qualifications. To present yourself as the truly exceptional candidate, your resume has to appeal directly to the employer's needs.

So, think of your resume as an advertisement - a well-written ad designed to get the reader to call you for an interview. To write an effective resume, you have to be able to write powerful yet subtle ad copy. Then, you must know how to sell a product in which you are personally invested. That product is you.

If you are like most people, you have underestimated your value in the employment market and do not enjoy the thought of selling anything, let alone yourself. And, like most people, you may not fully realize the depth of skills, accomplishments and expertise you have to offer. Choosing the best format for your particular background and situation is yet another important factor to be considered. What seems appropriate for one person may not necessarily present you in the best light, depending upon your particular employment history.

Does Your Resume Reveal Any Potential Liabilities?

Review your resume to determine the overall impact it may have on the reader. Does it present any of the following potential obstacles toward serious consideration? If so, make sure to minimize those factors to present your best advantage on paper.

• Your experience is unrelated to your stated goal.
• Your education is unrelated to your stated goal.
• Your job titles are not progressive or similar to the type of position you are seeking.
• You have been unemployed for several years.
• Your experience history dates back 20 or more years.
• You have held a series of positions in only a few years.
• Your work history shows gaps.
• You appear to be short on achievements or appear to have none at all.
• Your experience is too narrow, too generalized or too specialized.
• Your experience is in other industries or in only one industry.
• Your career appears to be moving laterally.
• You have not been promoted.
• You lack sufficient education or training.
• You lack a needed requirement.
• You have held one position/title throughout your employment history.

To increase your career opportunities at the best possible compensation package, present a peerless resume. Remember, you only have one chance to make the right first impression. Isn't your career worth it?