Winning Resume

What is the secret or special magic of a "winning resume"?
Why does it generate job interviews so quickly?
The short answer is that a winning resume is a "smart" resume,
smart because it shows recruiters what they want to see – in seconds.
In other words, it "sells" you to the reader.
To write a winning resume, you first need to ask:
What are employers looking for? Job advertisements will usually provide
you with many answers and clues.
A winning resume is "smart" because it addresses the employer’s
specific needs. That will always interest and impress the reader.
It will not be screened out or scanned out but get you interviews –
and more.
A winning resume MUST include your "sell" as well as your "facts".
Do you know how to sell yourself in a resume?
Are you relying too much on a cover letter?
Or are you hoping that a readymade resume template or
wizard will do this for you? They can't! You have to analyze and
develop and record your own selling points.
So, don't be too quick to blame the job market if you're not
getting any interviews. The awful truth is that 9 times out of
10 the resume you are using is NOT selling you. It is not a winning resume.
In fact, it may even be working against you.
Any resume without the right kind of "sell" is a killer!
What are employers looking to hire? Can you meet many of their needs?
Your best "selling points" should be offered in the first 5-10 lines.
They should be written in the language that employers use in job advertisements.
(Flowery or classroom writing is a turnoff!)
You also need to draw attention to your achievements by using black
bullets intelligently. ("Bullets" also need to be "smart".)
Important keywords should be bolded or underlined.
These steps will turn your basic resume into a winning resume.
Writing a winning resume involves making important decisions.
What should you include, emphasize or highlight? But what to leave
out or downplay may be as or more important. A single negative
or "red flag" item could mean "File C" – the circular file.
Do you have the skill to identify potential negatives or no-no's?
Probably not!
How does a winning resume differ from the basic or general resume
that most job seekers write? Why will it beat using a resume
template or wizard?
A winning resume has a target. It is focused from A to Z – from
Job Objective onwards. It tries to answer what employers are looking for.
Such a focused resume will continue to sell you during interviews
and also afterwards when your resume is compared to others.
By contrast, a general resume is too vague because it lacks a target or focus.
It is also very unfair to a busy reader because it expects him or her to
read your entire resume from A to Z in order to search for and figure
out what he or she needs to know about you. Why should they bother?
You should be telling them up front!
This is why – in 95 cases out of 100 – a self-written resume will NOT
be a winning resume. It will not be able to compete with a
professionally written resume that "talks" to the reader and sells
you – in seconds.
Always remember, you will never get a second chance to make a
winning first impression.