I hold firm to the belief that social media is critical to connect with your network and tap into opportunities — and that without it your resume will never have the reach it might otherwise. As an executive resume writer, however, I can attest that your resume remains a foundational document in a well-planned and executed job search.
Here’s 3 things you can do to give your resume a competitive advantage:
#1 Articulate Your Value From the Top – Concisely
Recruiters and hiring managers usually have a lot on their plates. This makes for skim rather than in-depth reads…especially during the first few rounds. Your summary or branding statement at the top must quickly inform the reader:
- The types of roles you are targeting
- How you are a perfect fit
As an executive resume writer, I always make sure my documents contain just enough details to stand out from the crowd — especially as there will be 100s of others describing themselves using adjective-rich language.
Here’s a before and after sample from a specialty pharma sales rep. See for yourself the potential contained within a brief, powerful summary:
BEFORE
AFTER
#2 Brochure v. Blueprint
People in a rush (and let’s be honest, people are always in a hurry when it comes to resume reading) have difficulty skimming and absorbing dense blocks of text. This is the case whether your resume contains five one-line bullets bunched together or a five-line paragraph.
When someone is in a rush, and something is hard to read, there’s a good chance it will be skipped over. You can avert this by keeping bullets or paragraph short and sweet (2-3 lines max) and inserting additional white space in between each bullet/paragraph.
Here’s another before and after from a capital equipment sales executive resume that illustrates my point:
BEFORE
AFTER
As you can see, the “AFTER” is easier to read, especially on mobile.
#3 Images Speak Louder than Words
While graphics and pictures can’t be read by Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) systems, they absolutely can be read by human beings.
In my opinion as an executive resume writer, while I’ve never been a fan of graphics for graphics sake, there are times when a picture really does tell the story effectively!
Here’s what I mean:
To ensure your language can be read by ATS software as well as human beings, make sure that whatever data you insert in the graph, chart or image is also contained in text within your document.
Professionals looking to jump into today’s hyper-competitive job market will benefit from a resume that tells their story in a succinct, compelling and engaging manner.
This can be accomplished by embracing graphics (and a touch of color!) and articulating value starting at the top.
Previously appeared on MedReps.com
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