NEW YORK, N.Y. (CitizenWire) — When you’re looking for a job, your resume is your introduction, your handshake, and your voice – even before you step in the door. The problem is most people’s resumes aren’t working for them; they’re working against them. For the resume you use to first contact potential employers, there is a seven-point list of what your resume must do developed by ERI, a personal marketing firm perfecting professional and managerial job searches. “Today, the number of resumes in circulation exceeds the imagination,” Robert Gerberg, Chairman of ERI said.
“While many professionals still use traditional resumes, with today’s competition, they don’t work anymore. Remember, your resume is an ad, not a tombstone,” he added.
1) The resume must be one page. Employers are flooded with resumes on a daily basis. Don’t overwhelm them even further with a lengthy account detailing every aspect of your history. Most employers only electronically scan the first page of your resume for their system.
2) Preferred jobs must be listed first. Specify the positions you are looking for (e.g., director of marketing, manager of communications, etc.) that an employer might have available. This way the employer specifically knows how to gauge you and your abilities.
3) The top third must be a summary, easily readable in 20 seconds.
4) Liabilities must be neutralized. Age, length between jobs, too much experience in only one industry, these aren’t things you need to advertise. All of these liabilities and many others can be neutralized with the right type of presentation.
5) Transferable skills must be sold. Just because the focus of your career has been in one industry or place doesn’t mean you haven’t developed abilities that other industries and companies wouldn’t find enormously appealing. Make these stand out.
6) A first-class image must be presented. Your resume is your first-impression, so make it count. Typos, errors and sloppy presentation will quickly get your resume moved to the ‘no’ pile. It seems obvious, but it’s important.
7) Resumes must be scanning-ready with relevant key words. Employers use technology these days to make their review process even faster. Research key words that are important to employers for the jobs you are looking for, and incorporate those.
To get tips on breaking into today’s job market and how to compete more effectively, ERI created a free 20-minute video to show job seekers the inside track. It covers how the market really works, new resume styles that are producing outstanding results, where the public and private openings can be found and ways for accessing the leads and contacts you can find on the Internet.
To view this video and more, visit www.executiveresumes.com/markettour .
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