Your CV and Resume is your primary tool in finding a new role. Without having a properly formatted and targeted resume, you are not presenting yourself in the best light possible and you will lose out to others. Spending the time now is a wise investment not only in your future but also in your career as it can set you apart from your competition and maximize the interview opportunities you will receive.
Formatting
It is essential that you format your resume to the role that you are looking for. Management jobs should clearly be emphasized if you are applying for a management role, and similarly if you are applying for a sales executive position, you need to show and demonstrate your sales skills including revenue generation and territory growth.
Do not forget to emphasize your Customer Service and Client Management skills as most roles – regardless of the title – will be looking for these.
What Can You Do?
It is absolutely essential that you provide your readers with an idea of the skills and capabilities that you possess. This should be a very high level statement but quite explanatory and anyone reading it should understand at a glance what you are capable of and what you bring to the table.
Please note that this statement should NOT be your personal objectives. You should actually avoid including these in your resume entirely as those statements are what you want and not what you can DO. The company hiring you wants to know what your skills are and how they can benefit them – not why you want the job!
Give Them Real Numbers
This is one of the most important components to your resume. You need to communicate in your resume not just what you do, but what HAPPENS when you do what you do! This technique also helps employers envision you working with them, helping them with similar challenges and issues.
Use The Right Words
Key words organized in a group called something like “core competencies” for instance, will do two things for you. It serves to potentially qualify you for more interviews, assuming those companies you are submitting your resume to use key word scanners. Second, key words. i.e., your strengths that stand alone allow the reader to view your competencies independent of any past company associated with it. This has a positive psychological effect as again, it enhances the reader’s ability to picture YOU in the position they are working to fill.