A Winning Resume = More Money in Your Pocket

Did you know it takes an employer only 30 seconds or less to scan a resume and decide if it makes the cut or goes in the wastebasket? Only a few make the cut, according to resume expert, Tom Kavala.

So, how can you make the cut without paying someone hundreds of dollars to do your resume? Here are a few tips and tricks of the trade to make a winning resume all by yourself (but you can email me if you really need help: rachel@6degreesmediagroup.com).

Firstly, and most importantly, is to stop looking at your resume as a long list of your job history (yawn). Boring! You've got to look at it from an employer's perspective. It's got to stand out. He's going to ask questions like, "Has this person saved their previous companies money? If so, how much?" and "Has she increased sales? If so, by what percentage?"

Like it or not, an employer is looking for someone he knows can achieve results. Bottom line. If you can't "show them the money" so to speak, your resume goes straight to the T-R-A-S-H.

Secondly, for gawds sake, stop listing every job under the sun you have ever held. Nobody cares! What an employer really cares about is what jobs have you held that make you a good candidate for his company. Unless you really think your retail job in college makes you a good candidate for the marketing department of Hewlitt Packard, don't put it in there. For instance, retail has a marketing aspect to it, so explain how it helped you become better at marketing. (Not dissing on retail jobs at all!)

Thirdly. Education. If you've had too much education for the job you want (or even experience for that matter), a company won't hire you because they know they can't afford you. This presents the challenge of only adding information about education you've had that relates to the position you are seeking. On the other hand, if you have not had enough education, you can explain how your experience makes you a good candidate for the job despite not having a degree.

On this note, if you are in the process of obtaining your degree, be sure to note this at the top of your education credentials along with your completion date. And, always list your highest level of education down to the lesser levels. Obviously, if you have a doctorate there's no need to list that you graduated from high school because that's assumed.

Fourthly (is that a word?), make sure your Objective is worded very well. Since the objective goes at the top of your resume just under your contact info, you want to be clear why you are the best candidate for the job.

Think of the Objective section as a summary of what's to come in the resume. A sort of teaser if you will. It's what entices the employer to skip the trash pile and place your resume in the stack of "to be called" people. The Objective section is where you would toot your own horn and would read something like this:

Resume: At Acme warehouse, I increased their sales by 37.5% in one year.
Employer: Hmmm. This guy's exactly what I need!

Fifth and lastly, avoid listing too many miscellaneous things at the end of your resume. People like to get cute in this section, but it just comes across as unprofessional in most cases.

Summary
Once you get your foot in the door with your resume, the interview is all you, baby! Make sure you are well-prepared for your interview. You can get someone to rehearse an interview ahead of time with some mock questions.

If you get stumped or don't even know where to begin to create a fantastic resume, just call me. I give free consultations with no strings attached: (800) 662-6808.

Rachel Karl
Co-Founder
6 Degrees Media Group
"We connect you to the world..."