You have 7 seconds to grab the reader’s attention with your resume. Does that frighten you? Well, read on because I am going to share with you some tips and strategies that can help you stand out from among the competition and give you a competitive edge. I have also included a 7 minute audio podcast version of this topic that I highly recommend that you listen to.
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Basically, there are 3 tips that I am going to offer you that will help you to pass the 7 second test.
1. Remember the Fold.
We live in a new age when it comes to the job search. Almost every resume is viewed on the computer and you want to be able to grab the reader’s attention right away. So, I recommend that you open your resume on the computer and look at the resume without scrolling down. What you see is what is know as “above the fold.” This is terminology that is used in creating web pages. Companies want the most important and critical information in a place that is easily recognized and clearly seen. Most people make the mistake of having too much white space in this area or a weak objective statement at best. Make sure that you use this section to write strong and compelling words to draw the reader’s attention.
2. Use Powerful Action Words.
Probably one of the biggest mistakes I see on resumes is when people do not use strong and compelling action words in their resume. Words are power and your resume is a marketing piece that sells you (for ideas see my post Action Words That Make An Amazing Resume). The resume is not meant to be an exhaustive job description. You want to make sure to use strong and compelling words that evoke the reader’s curiosity. For example, build a “Qualifications Summary” at the top of your resume and start a short paragraph with two powerful words. You could use “Proactive, analytical Fortune 500 Executive…..” or you might try “Accomplished, seasoned CFO with….”
At the end of the “Qualifications Summary” paragraph, list 3 to 4 bullet points in 3 columns then end the paragraph with something like “Additional expertise in.” Inside your bullet points list out powerful, descriptive nouns that sell your experience like: SEC Reporting, SOX Compliance, Financial Statement Preparation, Mergers & Acquisitions Experience, etc.
3. Always, Always Tailor to the Job Description.
Don’t let your enthusiasm get the best of you. Most candidates make the mistake of getting so excited about a position that they rush and send their resume. The problem is they forgot to tailor the resume for that position. I have seen this happen dozens of times. Just because you know you have the right experience for the job does not mean that they will automatically pick up on it. Remember, you have to sell it to them. Use the job description and place the items that the mention in the “above the fold” section on your resume. Make it easy for them to pick up on it and you will see an increase in face to face interviews.
Employ these tips into your resume and you should see a dramatic rise in face to face conversations. If this is an area that is not your gift and you want a professional to work on it for you, I do accept a limited number of clients and build their resume for them. I am also a Freelance Resume Writer for HotJobs.com and WallStreetJournal.com and my main discipline is in Accounting & Finance. I offer three different levels of Resume Makeovers and you can find more details here: Resume Makeover.
Hey Jon,
Love the audio! I also really agree with #3 one of my early resume strategies was to write 30-50 bulleted action oriented points from my career experience and then create a new resume for every job description that I came across. The problem that I ran into was that I couldn’t keep track of all my resumes and then when I went into an interview I ended up handing the interviewer a different resume then they had received from me earlier.
I guess that’s a minor issue though.
I love the idea to focus on what’s above the fold!! Can I use that?
Great post.
Phil
I found that there are a couple of things that really increase the chances of getting a job, even now with an economic recession the basic rules still apply.
* Use Titles or Headings That Match The Jobs You Want
* Use Design That Grabs Attention
* Medium Size Resume and The Use Power Words
* Identify and Solve Employer’s Hidden Needs
* Sell the Benefits of Your Skills – it should be pretty obvious for the employer why not hiring you would be a loss for their company
An excellent insight for compiling a resume . Quiet often individuals try to hard therefore overlooking some of the basic techniquies . Nice to see other organisation trying to help people and providing the service for free. Thanks Chris WILLIAMS
Thanks, Chris. I agree…the harder an individual tries the more information they try to cram in. Clean, Concise, and Clear is my motto and it should evoke an emotion in the reader.