What is a Resume that Works?

A RESUME THAT WORKS is, above all else, a resume that will be read. The purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview. If, as the result of submitting your resume, you get an interview with a prospective employer, you have a resume that worked!

Resumes are mostly used to screen people out of consideration! A resume that works screens you in! A resume that works stands out from all the others. It will get you the attention you deserve.

Employers don't spend much time reading each resume. Thirty seconds is a fair estimate. Maybe as little as 15 seconds, unless you get their attention immediately, in that first glance-through.

Think of your resume as an advertisement about yourself. Your resume must be built with the same techniques that advertisers use, to give you the edge over your competition. The resume must have a strong impact on your prospective employer.

When you go shopping and buy something, you are buying more than just the product or service. You buy the benefits that the product or service is intended to provide. When you buy a car, for example, you are really buying more than just a car...

                -you are buying the attractive appearance and design,

                -you are buying its special features, such as air bags, responsive engine, etc.,

                -you are buying the manufacturer's reputation for reliability and quality,

                -you are buying the promise of performance,

                -you are buying its lifestyle benefits.

Likewise, the employer buys the benefits that you bring to the organization.

So your resume must convey the benefits that you offer. The way in which you communicate your benefits, i.e. your skills, talents, aptitudes and abilities, will make the difference between being screened into the hiring process and being simply screened out of the hiring process.