During any hiring process, a hiring manager or recruiter can review anywhere from 1 to 200 resumes per day. That’s incredibly intimidating for any hopeful applicant. People tend to think that the first impression you make with a company is when you meet a company representative in person. Everyone initially thinks that first impressions are all about the firm handshake or inviting smile. Truth is, the first impression is your resume. It’s the first thing that the employer sees on your behalf.
With that being said, how do you stand out of the crowd to get noticed? First off, don’t take shortcuts! Most people have one standard resume that they use and send out to multiple companies. This strategy is fine if you’re throwing up the standard “Hail Mary” half-court miracle shot to win the game, but if you’re really interested in a role that you see try taking things a step further and customize your resume to a tee. Research the role you’re applying for and get a sense of additional skills the employer would be impressed with. Write your resume the way the employer would want to see it. Also, do your homework on the company itself. If it’s a large Fortune 500 company, try using key words that come straight from the company’s culture. If you find out the company you’re applying to is more of a smaller company or start up environment, try modeling your resume in a more entrepreneurial tone. Lastly, don’t be afraid to play around with different templates, fonts and interesting facts. Just make sure they are all professional and easy on the eyes.
For our fellow marketers, on our side of the desk we speak with hiring managers on a day to day basis. One of the most common phrases we hear from our clients almost word for word is the notorious “If candidates can’t market themselves in their resumes, how are they supposed to market our services or products?”
Happy writing folks!
Career advice from:
Mark Brosas
Manager of First Impressions & Recruiting
Marketers on Demand Inc.