Writing an effective resume is about more than just creating a resume once and distributing it to prospective employers. An executive resume writer will tell you how important it is to review your resume and edit it often. Unfortunately, many people find one of their biggest weaknesses is editing. Hiring an executive resume service can provide the assistance you need, but learning to edit on your own can be invaluable.
Focus on Your Achievements
Many individuals focus on what their responsibilities have been at their jobs, rather than what they have actually achieved. Prospective employers want to know what your skills are and how you have used those skills to accomplish things in your past work history. Think about the requirements of the job to which you are applying and focus on the skills you need to meet the demands of the position.
Market Yourself
Your resume is your chance to sell yourself and tell your prospective employers why they should consider hiring you, rather than one of the other individuals who have applied. You may easily tell potential employers what you can do, but you also need to show them how well you can do it. When writing an effective resume, you need to show them how well you have done in past positions. Quantify your value, don’t just state it.
Remove Irrelevant Material
An executive resume writer can go through your resume and help you pick out the items that aren’t relevant to the job for which you are applying. Many people create a single resume and try to distribute it to all of their prospects. However, employers are looking for the best fit for the job. If your resume is filled with information that doesn’t relate to the open position, your resume is more likely to find its way to the bottom of the pile, rather than in the interview pile.
Don’t Give It All Away
A resume is meant to be a snapshot of your work history to get employers to call you. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you don’t give too much away. Make sure you leave them with questions so they want to talk to you. It’s important to make sure you can work on selling yourself at the interview to close the deal.
Check for Common Mistakes
Grammar and spelling errors can be devastating to your ability to get a job. An executive resume service will be able to identify these problems, but anyone with a firm understanding of the English language can go over your resume and point out potential issues. You should also double check names, addresses and other important information for accuracy.
Editing your resume is one of the most important steps you can take when applying for a job. Writing an effective resume will help set you apart from the other people applying for a job and can increase your chances of landing the job you want.
This guest post is by Erin Kennedy, MCD, CMRW, CPRW, BS/HR, a Certified Professional & Executive Resume Writer/Career Consultant, and the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc. She has achieved international recognition following nominations and wins of the prestigious T.O.R.I. (Toast of the Resume Industry) Award. Find Erin at http://exclusive-executive-resumes.com.