It's Not Your Father's Resume Anymore

By Craig Calvin

You may not have had reason to update your resume in quite some time. If you suddenly find yourself in the job market, your same old style of resume likely won't get you the attention you deserve nowadays. Today's resumes are trending toward a fresher, more progressive tone. Since studies show that you only have less than 30 seconds for your resume to communicate its message, it is important that you make sure your resume is to the point. Use monetary gains and savings to accentuate the positive, and play down age.

Value proposition is a catch phrase being tossed around nowadays. Businesses have been using it for years to sell their stuff. Savvy job hunters now know they need to incorporate it into their resumes to help them sell themselves. A value proposition in your resume essentially describes the tangible results a company can expect to receive from you. And, by tangible, companies want to see dollar signs. This may be in the form of decreased operational costs ~ some money-saving ideas you may have implemented, or a step you may have taken to improve customer retention.

Another change that's come about is replacing the standard one-line objective statement with a resume summary placed strategically near the top of the resume. This detailed paragraph takes an "in your face" approach to expressing your value and goals to the potential employer in terms of how you can help them to increase their revenue or cut their expenses.

Yet another trend is downplaying your age, while playing up your experience. It's a well-known fact that in spite of age discrimination laws, sometimes 40-somethings and up aren't given the opportunities they deserve. There's a good chance that your old-fashioned resume may be making you out to be a member of the over-the-hill gang. Potential employers are probably not discriminating on purpose. It's just that if you have a 30-something office manager who's thinking about hiring a supervisor who'll be working for him, he's probably going to shy away from hiring anyone he subconsciously considers to be "old".

One way to overcome that is to strategically omit the date you graduated. Don't include every job for the last generation, just highlight the ones you've held over the last several years. Be aware of the tone and the words you use, as they will play a role in capturing an employer's attention. Likely the best way to communicate value is to keep your technical skills updated to current levels. If there are certain courses that employers are looking for, then you would be well served to get certified in them. Highlight your achievements and skip the mundane details, and you'll be more likely to get a call and an interview. - 18099

About the Author:

No comments: