The Magic Formula
As resume writers, we are amazed at the amount of time we spend
discussing the “wow” factor with job seekers. If any concept has been
oversold in regard to resumes, it is the idea that a resume must take on
an almost magical quality that casts a spell over the reader,
transforming the average professional into the “must-have” candidate of
the year!
Of course, this magical quality is a moving target because no one
quite knows what the special combination is to unveil this secret spell,
and of course, everyone seems to have a different idea of what it
means.
Not to mention the plethora of materials that are out there just
promising to either create this almost-mythical document for you or to
help you create your own.
“Get yours to the top of the pile! Just say our magic chant 15 times,
spin around twice, and embed these special keywords behind the text of
your document, and employers will be mesmerized!”
Laugh, if you want, but deep down, it is what every job seeker is
really looking for…something that will make it easy for them, something
that will overcome the fact that, by and large, they are hard-working
professionals just trying to create a solid career that they enjoy.
Casting Spells Doesn’t Work
Listen. We’ve seen a lot of resumes. Pretty ones. Flashy ones. Video
ones. Two-column ones. Colorful ones. Conservative ones. Progressive
ones. You name it.
Sorry to say, but flashy resumes have not really proven to be anymore
effective than traditional professional obituaries. Both can seriously
hurt a candidate’s chances if they fail to understand what really makes a
resume work.
It’s Not a Secret
So does this mean you can’t use color or get creative with a two-column masterpiece?
No, but a solid resume must accomplish 4 things: (1) Communicate a focused, compelling brand message of the candidate and support it throughout the resume, (2) utilize strong
writing skills with solid action verbs, (3) organize the candidate’s
information in such a way that a clear picture of the candidate is
revealed (scope of knowledge and responsibility), and (4) be attractive
without being offensive.
We all like things that look nice, but color isn’t what sells a
candidate. Let the “wow” factor be in the strategy employed and in the
quality of the writing.
On the other side of things, however, don’t be so rigid that you
force the writer to prepare a cookie-cutter resume (Times New Roman,
10-pt, with lots of bullets!!). You’ll just end up with something
nondescript, that looks like it came from a Microsoft Word resume
template, and is not much better than anyone with decent grammar skills
could produce.
Problem-Solving Is the Wow
Do you know what really is the “wow” factor for employers? A
well-crafted document that highlights the specific skills and
accomplishments that they are interested in, that solve the need or
problem they have! Please don’t miss this point. It isn’t the
skills/accomplishments that YOU are most proud of; it is the
skills/accomplishments that THE EMPLOYER is most interested in for the
type of position being filled.
Sadly, most job seekers (and even some resume writers) are all worked
up about the font and type size of the resume and less concerned about
whether they really have the right strategy in place to attract their
audience. Yes, a resume should look appealing, but if you can’t speak to
your audience, then it is all just fluff and no “wow.”
Did you find this post helpful? If so, please share it! Or send us a comment. We’d love to hear from you.
In 2001, No Stone Unturned was launched as a resume (or résumé, for the purists among us) and career services firm. Under the No Stone Unturned umbrella, we now have ITtechExec, a technical resume and “career insurance and protection” service for senior IT/technical clients (15+ years), and now NoddlePlace (“noddle” means “head”), a technical resume and “career advancement” service for emerging, mid-level technical candidates (5-15 years) who want to make it to where our ITtechExec clients are.
I had gone through such type of resumes like colorful ones, pretty ones, two-column ones, but I mostly like the simple form of a resume. And one more thing, I like to say that wow factor brings more attraction. Thank you.
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