Is Your Resume Money?

In today's competitive job search jungle, is your resume getting noticed? As a caller expressed earlier this week...I need to know if my resume is money or if it totally sucks...can you help?

I loved his question. To determine which category your resume may fall into, here are five factors to consider. I call them the five V's of a good resume.

1. VISION - Does your resume communicate to your reader where you are going, where you're headed, what you want to do or will you make your reader wonder about your purpose? In the "old days" (six months ago or maybe even last week), hiring managers might have had more time to figure you out. Today, they don't. Do yourself and your reader a humongous favor...help hiring managers, recruiters, and/or decision-makers quickly and easily get a clear vision of you without having to work too hard to do so.

2. VISUAL- Does your resume invite the reader in -- to linger a while, browse around, and then move into action to contact you, or will it cause them to quickly move on? And there you'll go -- bam -- nowhere, with a swift shuffle to the "no thank you" pile. To better understand how significant the visual variable is, think about a time when you visited a store, only to find it cluttered, disorganized and jammed with way too much stuff. Remember how you felt? How long did you stay in that store? Not long, I would surmise, because you couldn't see anything due to the disarray and you probably couldn't wait to get out of there. Make the reader want to hang out with your resume just a little while longer than anyone else's...long enough to spark an interest in contacting you.

3. VOICE - Does your resume deliver a clear, credible, and compelling message in support of your candidacy for the position you desire? Does your resume sound like you? Does it well represent you in your absence? Do the words on your piece of paper align with the "real" you, live and in person? Consistency is crucial when it comes to the voice variable of your resume; make sure that what others "see" and "hear" on paper is what they'll actually get in a face-to-face meeting. Bottom line, do you sound as good in person as you do on paper, and vice versa?

4. VALUE - Does your resume reflect the true value of what you have to offer an employer? Does it deliver concrete successes, measurable results, and specific accomplishments to support your track record of performance? Can your resume reader easily discern the many ways in which you can add value to an organization's bottom line in today's competitive, tumultuous market? If a reader has to look long and hunt hard for your value, you are seriously diminishing your chances of getting the nod for an interview. Make it easy for a hiring manager to notice your resume.

5. VICTORY - If your resume integrates the four "V's" briefly detailed above, you will stand a much better chance of getting noticed by a hiring manager's seasoned (and often tired) eyes. With each and every word you select to represent you and your story, may it land you in the "interview hot seat" and lead you on to victory!

Is your resume money?

posted by: billiesucher