One of the major reasons resume writers—or any writer for that matter—are in business is because it’s simply so hard to be objective in writing about ourselves or our businesses.

For this very reason, if you are writing your own resume, it may be tricky for you to try and customize your resume for the position you are going after. To make it easier, here are three tips that you can use to “tweak” your resume properly—I call this “The Mirroring Technique.”

Tip #1: Get a Focus. This is an obvious one but there is a trick to it. So often, professions only think their resume is “focused” when, in reality, they are generalizing. I believe this is because many professionals believe (incorrectly) that they should not focus their job search goals too narrowly for fear of losing out on possible open positions. You can exacerbate this misguided belief by limiting your job search to job boards for executive jobs and positio ns. Job boards represent about 1 percent of actual jobs that are available and are awash with competition.

The first thing I do when working with my clients is have them complete my Career Success Blueprint™. This gets them hyper-focused on exactly what they want—really understanding where the low-hanging fruit is for them. This information, now on paper, also gets them out of “job board” headspace and helps direct their energies to thoughts of “what exactly is it that I really want and what are some of my primary job search motivators—such as money, geographic, and industry parameters?” When they get crystal clear on these important components, then and only then can they take the next step—which is to write  their resume and formulate the right job search plan. The same is true for you.

Tip #2: Shift Your Perspective. You must approach the information contained in your resume through the eyes of potentia l employers. In other words, you are going to want to write some things about your career history that will probably not be applicable to your ideal position. Shift your perspective; look at things from your potential employer’s point of view—taking into consideration the position requirements that you know of and, most importantly, the results you can bring to the table . . . your quantifiable achievements. For example, if you have a background of experience in operations AND marketing—and you are focusing on a marketing director position, you will most likely want to minimize your operations experience and draw forth only the  experience relevant to your goals.

Tip #3: Use “The Mirroring Technique.” This is an extension of shifting your perspective. Take an example of your ideal job off of any relevant job description using a job aggregator like indeed.com. Next, highlight ALL the keywords and phrases used in the job descriptio n to communicate the ideal candidate that also match your skills and strengths. Now weave those keywords into the first page of your resume . . . essentially “mirroring” what they are asking for.

So often we say to ourselves mentally, “Oh, this position fits me perfectly!” and yet we fail to take that next step—which is actually rather simple—and make sure we are communicating this in our resume. Now, using this technique “making sure that you are mirroring what a company is looking for” becomes quite easy!

Let me elaborate on the technique of using a sample position from indeed.com—and how powerful this little exercise truly is. Let’s say, for instance, that you are interested in a VP of Sales position for a mid-size technology company. You can go to indeed.com, use those search keywords, and in about 10 or 15 minutes you will have found three or four position descriptions that sound like a great match for you. It doesn’t matt er where these positions are located or even what companies they are with. You are looking for descriptions that excite and energize you—you will know you have found a great match by the emotions they evoke in you. You want to cut and paste each of these descriptions into a Word document and highlight all the keywords and phrases that match you. Most likely you will begin to see a pattern of keywords in each position. You simply take and use these keywords in your resume. You can use them in your showcase keywords at the top of your resume, in your opening statement, and in your bulleted list of core competencies.

Bonus tip: I like to use a lot of keywords at the very beginning of my resumes so that the reader can (at a glance) get a pretty good idea of what my client is all about in just a few seconds. By using very clear communication at the very top of your resume—which also can be called “good branding”—not only will your re sume clearly and powerfully communicate your career objectives and expertise, but you can subtly tweak your keywords to “mirror” a particular industry or position. For example, let’s say you have both start-up and turnaround experience. “Technology Start-Ups” might be one of your key word phrases at the top of your resume. If you are reaching out to a mid size technology firm that you know needs a turnaround expert, you can switch out your keyword phrases, replacing “Technology Start-Ups” with “Turnaround Expert.”

Using these simple techniques should increase your interviews and interest from potential employers. 

***I always approach any tips I provide you from the perspective of going direct to employers (the hidden job market)  versus waiting for the perfect job you found on a job board. Remember, almost ALL jobs (more than 85 percent) are not publically advertised—so no matter what your industry is or what stage you are at in your career, it makes total sense for you to get your information to the key decision-makers, companies, and industries that YOU are most interested in.  You might be surprised at their show of interest in YOU and your initiative! If you are ready to learn more about how easy it is to tap into the hidden job market, you can check out my home study program at www.job-searchsystem.com.

Share this:

What happens if you are a professional who has a great job history, lots of accomplishments, but you have a mediocre resume?

Well, often it means you hold yourself back from reaching your full career potential so that your compensation, level of responsibility and overall job satisfaction suffer.

Think of it this way: even securing interviews with a resume that just doesn’t cut it puts you in the challenging position of having to try to “sell up” from the “just okay” first impression your resume has already created for you in the eyes of the interviewer.

A smarter plan that will ultimately save you time, money and frustration is to start off on the right foot and create the best first impression possible. Here are ten steps to get you started:

Tip number one: start with a great heading
No, I don’t mean a one sentence objective or your current title. I mean two or three words that closely match your key skills, key industries or a combination thereof.

These grab the readers attention right away, so they need to be powerful, crystal clear and targeted. Check out my website for several samples.

Tip number two: make it stand out
A good design is eye-catching and professional. If you know basics in MS word (like how to create a shadow or a border), this should be easy for you to incorporate into your resume and cover letter. Be careful no to go overboard, though!

Tip number three: add lots of keywords
Keywords at the top of your resume that demonstrate both soft and hard skills help the reader separate out your strengths from your current and past employers. This makes it easier for the reader to connect with you and mentally “picture” you working with them!

Keywords also ensure the document can be quickly read or scanned to find a match between your skills and the target position.

Tip number four: bullet point your quantifiable achievements
Right at the top of the first page you should, if possible, lead with three to six bullets – each with a crystal clear sentence outlining your strengths.

Tip number five: spell out and BOLD your academic achievements Rather than writing MBA, write Masters of Business Administration (MBA), and BOLD your degree.

Tip number six: add the extras
Memberships, volunteer activities, certifications and training programs that are relevant to the position and industry you are seeking, should all be listed in your resume.

You can leave off personal information, such as family status, personal hobbies and statements such as “references upon request.”

Tip number seven: create an accomplishments summary
Under your professional experience, you should always call out your key accomplishments.

You can do this at the top of your professional experience (just group your accomplishments all in together) or as key points under each of your positions.

Don’t forget to BOLD your key accomplishments.

Tip number eight: create the right resume for you
Are you changing industries or building on the one you have been in for some time? Are you a legal professional or in academia?

Resume styles for these professions are all different, so make sure yours is the right style for your industry and/or position of choice.

Functional resumes are generally best for industry or position changes, chronological for staying in your industry.

Tip number nine: sell your present and past employers
Add a favorable sentence or two about each employer as you list each position (ex: ABC Company is a 50 million dollar provider of award-winning widgets with three divisions and 450 employees).

Tip number ten: quantify your accomplishments
One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is communicating a menu of responsibilities without completing the story.

Employers want to know “WHAT HAPPENS” when you do what you do, so help them understand why they should hire you by telling them the results of your responsibilities.

Granted, these tips are just the tip of the iceberg, but making sure they are incorporated into your resume can make a difference in the quantity and quality of interviews you get!

Share this:

When I ask my clients to give me success stories of their various career achievements I often hear the following comments:

I can’t really quantify my successes

It’s just my job

I don’t think of myself in that way

I can’t recall accomplishments “like that”

It’s really hard for me to give you that information

Can you relate? Its Okay first of all – you see, you are not alone! But I will let you in on a secret: there is a simple trick to recalling and creating your accomplishments and once you master this little technique you too can create “jaw-dropping” accomplishments that will have potential employers really excited to talk with you!

So here are several tips to get you started:

Tip #1: Key Word Your Strengths

Start with a blank sheet of paper. Now begin to brainstorm on all the things you love to do the best. Just have fun with it. If you are feeling stuck take a break for a day (which gives your subconscious mind a chance to bring these thoughts to the surface). These are the things you love to do and they are usually connected to those skills and functions you are doing when you are really doing your best work.

Tip #2 How to Turn Your Strengths into Stories

Now look at your list and for each keyword ask yourself “why do I feel this way?” For example maybe you wrote “Motivating” as one of your strengths. Asking yourself “why do I feel I am motivating?” will trigger your memory of an event you are connecting that determined strength to. Maybe it was the time you motivated your boss to let you take on a project that generated a certain amount of revenue for your company or perhaps you motivated a national sales team with incentives that increased the companies client base.

Tip #3: Write a Simple Template for Each Story

Your template is really easy and it goes like this:

Problem:

What I Did:

The Result:

A key here is not to make this complicated at all! Keep your answers short (think of how products are marketed…less definitely increases your impact!)

Bonus Tip: Don’t be tempted to fall into the trap of thinking your successes aren’t important enough to write down or share! This is a common trap you definitely want to avoid. If it shows off your strengths is generally worthy of sharing.

It’s hard to be objective about our successes because of our internal rationale that “oh, that’s just what I do” or “anybody could do it really”. If you catch yourself thinking this way then know you are devaluing the unique, amazing and honorable skills and strengths you bring to the table. Give your skills and aptitudes their due and you will find as you grow confident in communicating them – it can and will result in more interest and bigger offers from potential employers!

Share this:

Are you wondering if your resume best positions you to land the job of your dreams in a parallel market, new industry or higher level position? One area you want to make sure to check is your key-words.

Resume key-words are simply the words used to describe your hard and soft skills. Many companies today use key-word scanning software to organize and qualify applicant matches with available positions. Even if a company doesn’t use key-word scanning software, it’s still extremely important to mirror the key-words listed in a position as much as possible.

You can quickly and easily make certain that your resume attracts the right attention using the following simple steps:

Step One: Identify Your Favorite Jobs

First, through you favorite job aggregator or niche job board, identify at least two positions that you would qualify as your dream job.

Next, print them out and highlight all of the key-words and phrases that best describe both what you love to do the most and any other strengths and attributes that match your skills. Highlight even those strengths that match functionally, even if the position is in another industry.

Now make sure these key-words are woven throughout your resume, putting special emphasis on the top part of your first page.

Step Two: Use Your Two To Three Best Key-words

You don’t necessarily have to redesign your resume for each job you wish to submit your resume to. In fact, if you are finding this to be necessary for you, you may wish to check your focus.

Many professionally-designed resumes will have approximately three key-words in a bigger, bold font right up at the top of their resume. I call these headline key-words. This is a powerful way to immediately target your resume for each particular job you submit your resume to.

Let’s say you are submitting for a job that stresses operations, global expansions and teambuilding. If these are all matching skills for you then you want to mirror these in your headline key-words. With this method you can very simply shift a few main key-words and get maximum attention from your target audience!

Step Three: Consider a Key-word Only Section

In my resumes I always like to include a keyword-only section. I call it core competencies or skills and abilities. A good list should include three rows of 4 to 5 bullet points per row. In the first row include your strongest competencies, in the middle perhaps soft skills that would include leadership and management abilities and your third row can include technical aptitudes, language skills and/or secondary skills such as leading training programs or creating marketing collateral.

Using these valuable tips gives you a simple easy way to make sure your resume is targeted for the positions you really want!

Share this: