Posted By Amanda Collins on September 10, 2009

I’ve been writing résumés since 1996, and at that point they were little more than prettified job applications with little or no focus on differentiating the client. They were a series of lists saying what you did at each job. And they all started with objectives. In essence, they were about applicants.

Today, résumés are no longer past-oriented; they are very much targeted to the reader and future-oriented. Far from the days of lists, the best résumés today highlight your value proposition and accomplishments you’ve had across your career to paint a picture to the reader and let them know how you can make their business better. The driving factor behind résumés is WIIFM: what’s in it for me? – meaning what’s in it for the employer.

If your résumé starts with an objective, doesn’t have a summary / profile, and you’re not sure what accomplishments really are, you’re likely not hitting the right note with HR managers and recruiters. Remember that you need to market yourself as the expert, the one candidate they cannot afford to pass up. If you do that, you’ll likely see a turnaround in your responses to your job-search efforts.

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 9, 2009

As much as I would love to believe that a well-written résumé is all you need to secure your dream job, I know that it takes a strategic marketing effort to get your name out there and create that next opportunity. When you’re looking for a job, that effort becomes your small business that you are running – but it doesn’t have to be as a sole entrepreneur!

There are many online resources for ramping up a great job search: LinkedIn, TheLadders.com, HireFlyer, and many others. When you find a position or company that’s of interest to you, put out feelers on LinkedIn and ask your friends. It’s amazing how many people we all know – and we forget that one of our connections may know just the right person to help open a door.

Also, if you are in a larger city, there are likely networking events and in-person resources for job seekers. Check with your local library, chambers of commerce, and community colleges to see if they host mixers that get together job seekers and employers. They may also have classes and seminars on how to interview, network, and share your story.

Of course, a résumé is integral to a successful job search, but it’s not the end-all, be-all. As part of my service to clients, I encourage you to connect to me on LinkedIn and Facebook to create your future – and find a great job!

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Posted By Amanda Collins on September 8, 2009

It may come as a surprise to you that many of my clients are marketing professionals, whose job it is to package and sell products. Through a résumé, you are packaging and marketing yourself, but even successful professionals may find it challenging to know what to include and omit while drawing attention to the vital skills and accomplishments that relate to the position at hand. In fact, my own résumé is missing many of the vital components I insist are included in those I write for clients!

When someone else looks at your résumé, what picture is it painting? Does it put you in a “suit” or “jogging pants”? Too often, I review résumés of executive-level candidates that make them come across as entry-level with no ability to lead or make a difference.

Take a look at your career-marketing documents again. Are they just okay, or are they positioning you to be in the “yes” pile of this very competitive landscape?

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