Do you look at your resume and wonder why it’s not getting the props you think it deserves?
You worked effortlessly to perfect every word, followed all the standard rules, and think your experiences really set you apart.
I have edited resumes for friends who needed that extra push to land them a killer job.
And there is one thing I found consistent among them all…
…no personality!
Now you may be wondering, how could you inject some personality into your resume?
Speak to the reader. Tailor your resume to that employer. Show how your experiences will make you the best fit for the position.
It is easy to list your experiences and break down what you did for the employer in bullet format. But it is much harder to bring out your personality.
Show the numbers
If you have experience picking apples, don’t just tell us that you picked apples.
Tell us how many you picked a day, how much each bag weighed. Tell us the type of apple, and any special observances about the product or the job.
Show us your intelligence in the position and how you were able to soak up all the information from the experience.
Experience > Education
Your education didn’t make you money. It cost money.
So even though an employer will look at your education, they are more interested in how you made money for a company.
Were you so productive that your presence saved the company money? Did you make sales to generate new revenue? Was your work of such high quality that it built the company’s image and improved their credibility?
Unless you work for yourself, how much money you saved or made a business is really the only fundamental factor which will differentiate you from your competition.
Trust Yourself
I hate websites which tell you that your resume should be this way or that way. It’s not important.
Style and format are always evolving but it is the individual applying for the job who is going to get hired.
So if I were to tell you that your name should be a certain font size and you should include a certain skillset, I would be setting you up for failure.
What would be better would be for you to write down your top ten skills and how they will play into your dream job.
Then make sure your resume reflects your ability to make that happen.