Your Resume Must Tell Employers What They Want to Know

When you attempt to craft a resume, there is always the danger that you will fall in love with your own creation. While it stands to reason that you would want to produce a resume that reads well to you, your opinion doesnt count as much as a prospective employers viewpoint.

As a result, it is vitally important that you turn out a resume that tells employers exactly what they want to know. If your resume is deficient in any wayif it fails to inform a recruiting manager where you worked, how long you worked there, what your educational background is, what skills you possess, and your general qualifications for a specific positionyour resume will quickly end up in the waste bin.

Dont Depend on the Interview to Make Up for Problems With Your Resume

A number of job-seekers are satisfied with producing a resume thats less than perfect because they hold out the hope that they can make up for their resumes flaws through a stellar performance during a job interview. The problem with this line of thinking is that, unless your resume is top-notch, it is unlikely that you will be selected for any interview at all. Therefore, it pays to devote time and attention to fine-tuning your resume so that it meets the needs of prospective employers.

Put Yourself in the Employers Place

In order to write an effective resume, you need to put yourself in the place of the hiring manager. The employers eyes may be glazing over from all the resumes he or she has had to review. As a result, the employer is probably skimming through the stack looking for potential employees who fit some key criteria: the criteria being that they will perform the job effectively and efficiently; they will benefit the company; and they will be dedicated to their position.

Be Sure to Cover the Basics

While it is certainly wise to make your resume as brief as you possibly can, it is critically important that you include the basic information a prospective employer wants to know. You might be surprised at the fact that a number of job-seekers forget to include their e-mail addresses or cell phone numberstwo key ways for employers to get in touch with them. Also, be sure to include your snail-mail address, in case the employer needs you to fill out an application or a survey.

Your resume should include a complete job history (at least, post-college), information about skills you have that are applicable to the job youre applying for, a list of the degrees youve earned and the colleges, universities, and relevant training programs youve attended, and your references. A prospective employer wants to know what your references have to say about youhe or she doesnt want to take the time to call you and track down names and phone numbers at the last minute. The more complete the information you provide about your references, the better. Providing reference information as an addendum to your resume is a positive option.

Indicate Why Your Candidacy is Special

Once youve covered the basics, its highly important that you provide the employer with information that will distinguish your candidacy from the rest of the job applicants. If your resume is overly broad in focus, it will not attract the interest of a corporate recruiter. Instead, consider narrowing your focus by including information about special skill sets you possess, leadership roles youve held, and evidence of your team-building abilities. This information, like the rest of the information on your resume, must be presented in a clear, concise mannerotherwise, the employer will simply move onto the next resume.

Dont Forget the Profile

Employers are definitely interested in your key accomplishments, evidence of your professionalism and your pursuit of excellence. These achievements can be easily encapsulated in a profile section at the beginning of your resume. Recruiters can read through the profile quickly, giving them an immediate impression of your suitability for the position thats been advertised.

What Employers Dont Want to Know

It is also important to pay some attention to what employers dont want to knowor, at least, what they would prefer not to read on your resume. While each prospective employer is unique, there are certain common viewpoints that most share when it comes to resume appraisal.

In an effort to set themselves apart from the pack of other job applicants, a number of job-seekers make the mistake of making their resumes too personal. For instance, one individual who was seeking a position in government tried to portray himself in a unique light by including the names of his three dogs. Rather than making him appear intriguing, his decision to include dog news on his resume proved to be a deal-ender.

Also, for the most part, your resume does not need to explain in detail why you left a particular position. You can leave the discussion of that for the eventual job interview. It is far better to talk about the pitfalls in your job history in person rather than to try to explain them on paper.

The Intangibles

There are certain intangibles that employers want to know about youinformation that you can convey in your resume. For instance, by proofreading your resume carefully and making sure that it is error-free, you are showing a prospective employer that you have a keen eye for detail. By presenting your resume in a professional, easy-to-read manner, you are demonstrating that you have excellent written communication skills. By listing your community and volunteer activities, you show an employer that you have a sense of commitment to bettering the world around you. These intangibles can often determine whether or not you are called in for an interviewor whether your resume is kept on filenever to be seen again.

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