How to Write a Killer Resume… That Gets Noticed!

Recently we were asked (via the “Suggest a Blog Topic” box on our site) “What are employers looking for in a resume these days?”   With the current Australian jobless rate at it’s highest in six years and predictions of approximately 200,000 Australians joining the dole queues in the next 18 months, it is a very pertinent question! (http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1047467/Jobless-rate-reaches-six-year-high; http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25811838-2702,00.html)   However, it seems to me that it is not all the doom and gloom the media predicts.  I have recently spoken with many small business owners, who are saying that they are not suffering as much as the media would have us believe.  In fact many have said they are still growing, albeit more slowly than a year or two ago, but still moving successfully forward.   I have also seen first hand that many large companies are still hiring.  As a matter of fact, companies seem to be taking advantage of the current economic climate to get rid of the “deadwood” and are actively spending time and money looking for valuable employees.  The good news… there has never been a better time to search for employment that truly offers a genuine work/life balance!  And want some even better news?  Employers, in the past 2 years especially, are really starting to understand the range of experience and abilities being a parent brings to paid employment (well seriously – if you can manage children and a house and paid employment, you are amazing!!  Pat yourself on the back!! And get excited that employers are “getting” this!).   So down to business, what are employers looking for in a resume?  You need to keep in mind that there is a high chance there are hundreds of applicants looking for the same job as you.  Recently I spoke with a National HR Manager who was reading through 300 applications for one casual sales role in Sydney (ie: no regular promise of work, no entitlement accruals, and retail hours). So how do you stand out from the crowd?   Perhaps it is easier for me to start with what employers are NOT looking for!  If there are spelling mistakes or you use incorrect grammar, you’ve wasted your time and effort sending a resume.  Likewise, typo’s show a lack of attention to detail.    Read the job ad very carefully; if you are asked to include a cover letter, make sure you include it!  If the ad requires experience or qualifications, respond by noting how you meet that expectation (interesting fact: if you don’t have the experience or qualifications, but really want the job, don’t be put off.  Make sure you respond that you understood their requirements and whilst you don’t have exactly what they requested, you have experience that would correlate, or the drive to undertake the necessary requirements.  Enthusiasm, drive and initiative can sometimes trump experience and qualifications!).  Long resumes are out, if there is too much reading to get to the important facts, it goes in the too hard basket.  Further, most employers don’t want to know about your aspirations and dreams at the start of your CV; they might ask you if you get to interview stage, but it’s not relevant resume material.  DO NOT LIE on your resume, trust me, any savvy employer will check your claims.   So what DO employers want?  Resumes are about selling yourself.  Employers want to know your experience, expertise and what you will bring to their company.  They don’t want to be guessing.  Make sure you explain any periods of unemployment (ensure you are framing any absences from the workforce in a positive manner, eg: Extended Maternity leave to provide the best possible care for my children, or; Sabbatical to further my education.).  Furthermore, if you have been out of the workforce for a while, don’t overlook the importance of how you have been spending your time; volunteer work, parent duty at kindy, committee member at the school, lollypop duty, study and further education are all extremely well viewed by employers, as are memberships to social and/or sporting clubs).  Do outline your educational level and any further education (interesting fact: in this day and age of readily accessible further education, employers like to see people extending themselves.  Short courses, distance education, online education and free community courses are all easily accessible and give you an edge on your CV).  Most importantly, mention awards, achievements and outstanding results!   Your resume should be easy to read and 3 pages is usually a good length.  Use dot points for your experience and expertise, detail names of employers, dates you were working there and why you left!  Use prose language for highlighting your achievements and awards.   Most importantly, if you are unsure at all or if you haven’t been getting any response from resumes you have been sending out – use a professional resume service!  Stellar Strategies offers a comprehensive Resume Service, from tweaking an existing resume to writing one from scratch.   And for my final tip – if you really want the job, if you really want to be working there, don’t just send a resume.  Research the company, find out the name of the decision maker, and after you have sent your resume ring them.  Make sure they have received your application and tell them why you are keen to work for them and what you will bring to their organization!  (Interesting fact: in my experience, less than 5% make the effort to call and follow up.  Those people who show the initiative to a. call me and b. sell me on why they would be an asset, always get a chance with me; and in 20 years of managing and employing staff, not one of those guns has disappointed me!).   As well as our Resume Service, Stellar also offers Self Confidence Workshops, Negotiation Skills Workshops and Strategy Advice Service (which helps job seekers reframe their experience in terms employers are looking for).  These are all valuable tools to arm yourself with to increase your chances of successful employment.

Tags: curriculum vitae, cv, how to resume, how to write a killer resume, how to write a resume, HR Manager, job hunt, job search, Job seeker, killer resume, resume, resume service, resume that gets noticed; jobless rate; unemployment; improving job search, resume tips, resume writing service, search for employment, stand out from the crowd, successful employment, what are employers looking for, what are employers looking for in a resume, write a resume

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 6th, 2009 at 1:38 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.