3 Reasons Why Your Resume Is Missing A Competitive Advantage

If you find you’re sending out resume after resume and your phone still isn’t ringing, it’s missing a competitive advantage.  What your resume needs is to clearly show the hiring manager who you are, why you’re the best at what you do, and how you’re going to meet the company’s needs.  You have to pique the hiring manager’s interest enough to get the call.  Here are a few reasons why your resume isn’t quite making the cut:

NO FOCUS, CLEAR DIRECTION, OR JOB TARGET

When a hiring manager views the first one-third of your resume, he or she has no idea what you do.  If they have to read down to the end of the first page to figure out what you do or where to put you, they won’t invest the time.  Spell it out up front through a personal branding statement and powerful career summary.

IT USES DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES VS. ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

Don’t just tell the hiring manager what you did while you were there.  They can look up a job description any day.  Show them through accomplishments and contributions that are quantifiable.  Use clear statements that paint a picture of exactly what you accomplished and how you accomplished it.  Professionals call it C.A.R. statements, which stands for Challenge—Action—Results.  Clarify the challenge you faced, the actions you took to address that challenge, and the results you achieved through the actions you took.

PRESENTATION IS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION

Truth be told, we all want to make a good first impression; and in a job search, it’s critical to do so.  You have five to seven seconds to make a great first impression, and your presentation is the FIRST thing the hiring manager will see.  So it needs to be reader-friendly, balanced, and information needs to be easy to find.  If a hiring manager has to go searching for the information he or she needs, chances are … they won’t.  Give them the critical information up front.

Take a moment to review your resume and make sure it addresses the three key points above.  This is not an all-inclusive list, but is a great start on your way to producing an effective and successful resume.  For more great resources and information, visit Great Resumes Fast.  You can also submit your resume for a free analysis by sending it via e-mail to info@greatresumesfast.com.