Welcome to the Resume Writing Tip of the Week! Unfortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of confusion and conflicting information about how to write your resume. Resume writers are making bank right now preying on the unsuspecting job hunter. This blog series is designed to help you earn results without handicapping your pocket book. You will learn one resume writing tip of the week each week for the next 10 weeks. Let’s get started!
This week’s Resume Writing Tip of the Week is: Generate Attention with Your Preferred Job Title!
Recently, I was working with an individual on his resume and just underneath his contact information he had the job title of “Sales Professional” in big bold letters. Although this message is clear as you immediately know what kind of position he is interested in. Yet, it misses the mark because it is too generic. How many self described unemployed sales professionals are on the market today? Too many. It was a nice touch putting this title in big bold letters on the upper center of the page, yet he is missing an incredible opportunity to capture the attention of his audience.
I have also seen many resumes in the past few days with titles such as “Senior HR Professional,” and “Public Relations Professional.” Get away from using these generic titles and describing yourself as a professional. This message lacks punch typically sending your resume on a shortcut to the trash receptacle. Instead, use words that describe the impact you will have on the company, or the results you intend to generate. For example, instead of having your title be “Sales Professional,” mix it up to “Million Dollar Revenue Producer,” or “40% Guaranteed Market Share.” Your resume has one primary objective. That is, to generate enough interest on the part of the employer to bring you in for the face to face interview.
I know you have heard this a lot, yet it is absolutely true (and this resume writing tip of the week would not be complete without mentioning it), in that your resume has a short amount of time (5-8 seconds) to generate proper interest to advance your candidacy. The first thing the sorter, hiring manager or human resources representative is going to see is your header and title. It has to capture their attention in a positive manner. Do not make the mistake of having a generically written title because your message will not resonate. Put yourself in the position of your audience. What would attract your attention? Mix it up. Make it worthwhile. Grab their attention and prepare for the interview!
I hope you enjoyed this resume writing tip of the week! Check back next week for another exciting installment of how to make your resume stand out to get results for the job you are looking for.
