Write a Resume From the Employer's Point of View

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Write a Resume From the Employer's Point of View

Take a good long look at your resume. You've followed all the latest rules for resume construction. You've polished your communication skills. The latest styles hang in your closet. You have updated your skills instead of sitting at home hoping the phone will ring.

Unfortunately, you may have made one of the biggest mistakes - your whole campaign is self focused.

Put the Employer or Recruiter First

When writing a resume the average Candidate writes something that sounds professional. Unfortunately, what we learned in college or while reading the internet, is often out of date. The average business owner is not interested in a dry list of skills. They are accustomed to networking and marketing. Their success depends on sales and advertising. Their success was built on marketing. So they are looking for a Candidate who can market themselves.

When marketing yourself presentation matters. From the Resume to the way you walk through the front door of the restaurant, every second the employer focuses their attention on you is part of the interview.

Old Resume Focus: professional, efficient, loyal, dedicated.

New Resume Focus: Entice, Enthrall, Compel, Aggressive.

The difference in a verb or modifier can make the difference between landing a job.

Sample: Old Description

Restaurant Manager, Company Name, Dates

Responsible for managing all aspects of restaurant operations and customer relations. Provided training, solved employee problems, improved revenue 10% in 9 months.

Sample: New Description

Restaurant Manager - Company Name, Dates

Uncovered several problems between restaurant floor and kitchen, created a user-friendly system that satisfied the needs of both areas. Uncovered two opportunities, and then implemented projects that improved marketing. Tested, promoted and launched two projects to better target the local market.

Both samples say the same thing, but the second tells a story. This Candidate spoke a language that solved a problem the employer was probably facing. They used words that the employer could respond to 'growth' and 'opportunities.' More important they successfully executed two projects. Employers know that the best plans often fail in the execution stage because no one knows how to make the 'staff' come onboard with management's programs.

Presentation

Employers are used to visuals. Your Recruiter may not suggest adding a graph to your resume. But arriving at the interview with a portfolio, or having a website with supporting reports, graphs, and visuals can make the difference between landing a job interview, and losing your resume at the bottom of the pile.

Robert Krzak is author and CEO of http://www.geckohospitality.com/ a respected hotel and restaurant recruitment and recruiting firm. Google G+ geckohospitality@gmail.com

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Resume Objective Can Be Your Tipping Point

Have you ever wondered what the Sam hell is going on in HR departments? Who are these people who have been given this life or death decision making power? And why do they reject your resume or never contact you at all? Are they sitting behind their desks chuckling while taking great pleasure in marking big red Xs of rejection on resumes? Looking for missed periods, typos, or spelling errors just to wield the power of their permanent markers?

Actually many HR employees are working frantically reviewing hundreds of resumes daily. Their job depends on selecting the best qualified candidates for interviews for an open position. If they choose a candidate that turns out to be a dud later, they look bad and their job is on the line. Contrary to popular belief, they are not having a good time or looking for every little error. However, any little error can be the tipping point that gets your resume rejected.

HR employees have to make some tough choices. They might be allowed to pick only ten candidates for interviews out of hundreds of qualified applicants. Many times the HR person's boss or someone else higher up on the ladder will be conducting the interview. Every candidate chosen to interview will reflect on the sometimes lowly feeling HR person.

The HR employee might have several dozen resumes with seemingly equivalent experience and education. Many competing job candidates' often have fairly equal qualifications, however, all resume objectives are not equal. A resume objective gets top billing on the page and sets the tone for your resume and who you are. An outstanding well written resume objective can be the tipping point that gives you just enough of an edge to get you in.

What kind of resume objective impresses the HR person? Envision yourself reading the same type of resume objective for a position over and over again hundreds of times in one day. Something to the effect of:

Objective:Seeking a position that provides an opportunity to demonstrate my skills blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada...

That's similar to what most candidates will submit. In order to catch the attention of HR and set a tone that inspires them there are specific tactics and words of great power. There are also words that can eliminate you from consideration. When HR is deciding who to interview between equivalent candidates things can be so equal a resume objective or even one word in a resume objective can be the tipping point that gets you chosen or tossed out of the running. Here are two powerful techniques for writing a resume objective that can be your tipping point that inspires, intrigues, persuades, or arouses an HR person just enough to choose you for an interview.

A successful method I devised years ago is the 'knowledge based resume objective.' This one is written and submitted to the employer after the interview. First you create something similar to this on your resume:

Objective: To assume anyone could possibly fully comprehend your company goals and expectations for this position without first meeting with you to learn about your needs would make any resume objective self-serving and artificial. Please allow me to reserve submitting an objective to you until after obtaining such information should I have the opportunity to meet with you.

This will certainly get the attention of an HR resume reviewer and cause the intrigue that makes them want to choose you for an interview. After your interview you create a detailed resume objective in a few paragraphs that directly addresses the needs of the company and provides solutions based on what you learned. Then you include that in a thank you note.

The "mirror method" is another tactic I formulated that has had great success using language familiar to the corporate culture of the target employer. To do this you study the mission statement, website, and blogs of the target company and include the same vocabulary in your writing. For example here is the mission statement for Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and two examples following:

Mission Statement

It is the Mission of Advance Auto Parts to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers.

Position: Accountant

Resume Objective: Seeking a position as a cost conscientious accountant to contribute to fulfilling the wants and needs of people with friendly service and products at the right price.

Position: Administrative Support

Resume Objective: To make my mark as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic employee who contributes to a professional staff that inspires, educates, and solves problems for customers.

You will probably have no idea who the other candidates are that you are up against for a job or how much time they have spent writing their resumes. You need every possible edge to compete and one small detail can be just enough to tip the scales in your favor. Make sure you know how to write a resume objective and the resume objective mirror method that can do just that. Copyright 2011 by Phil Baker. Freely distribute this article but please leave article, author name, copyright info, and links intact.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phil_Baker

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Resume Objective Can Be Your Tipping Point

Have you ever wondered what the Sam hell is going on in HR departments? Who are these people who have been given this life or death decision making power? And why do they reject your resume or never contact you at all? Are they sitting behind their desks chuckling while taking great pleasure in marking big red Xs of rejection on resumes? Looking for missed periods, typos, or spelling errors just to wield the power of their permanent markers?

Actually many HR employees are working frantically reviewing hundreds of resumes daily. Their job depends on selecting the best qualified candidates for interviews for an open position. If they choose a candidate that turns out to be a dud later, they look bad and their job is on the line. Contrary to popular belief, they are not having a good time or looking for every little error. However, any little error can be the tipping point that gets your resume rejected.

HR employees have to make some tough choices. They might be allowed to pick only ten candidates for interviews out of hundreds of qualified applicants. Many times the HR person's boss or someone else higher up on the ladder will be conducting the interview. Every candidate chosen to interview will reflect on the sometimes lowly feeling HR person.

The HR employee might have several dozen resumes with seemingly equivalent experience and education. Many competing job candidates' often have fairly equal qualifications, however, all resume objectives are not equal. A resume objective gets top billing on the page and sets the tone for your resume and who you are. An outstanding well written resume objective can be the tipping point that gives you just enough of an edge to get you in.

What kind of resume objective impresses the HR person? Envision yourself reading the same type of resume objective for a position over and over again hundreds of times in one day. Something to the effect of:

Objective:Seeking a position that provides an opportunity to demonstrate my skills blah, blah, blah, yada, yada, yada...

That's similar to what most candidates will submit. In order to catch the attention of HR and set a tone that inspires them there are specific tactics and words of great power. There are also words that can eliminate you from consideration. When HR is deciding who to interview between equivalent candidates things can be so equal a resume objective or even one word in a resume objective can be the tipping point that gets you chosen or tossed out of the running. Here are two powerful techniques for writing a resume objective that can be your tipping point that inspires, intrigues, persuades, or arouses an HR person just enough to choose you for an interview.

A successful method I devised years ago is the 'knowledge based resume objective.' This one is written and submitted to the employer after the interview. First you create something similar to this on your resume:

Objective: To assume anyone could possibly fully comprehend your company goals and expectations for this position without first meeting with you to learn about your needs would make any resume objective self-serving and artificial. Please allow me to reserve submitting an objective to you until after obtaining such information should I have the opportunity to meet with you.

This will certainly get the attention of an HR resume reviewer and cause the intrigue that makes them want to choose you for an interview. After your interview you create a detailed resume objective in a few paragraphs that directly addresses the needs of the company and provides solutions based on what you learned. Then you include that in a thank you note.

The "mirror method" is another tactic I formulated that has had great success using language familiar to the corporate culture of the target employer. To do this you study the mission statement, website, and blogs of the target company and include the same vocabulary in your writing. For example here is the mission statement for Advance Auto Parts, Inc. and two examples following:

Mission Statement

It is the Mission of Advance Auto Parts to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers.

Position: Accountant

Resume Objective: Seeking a position as a cost conscientious accountant to contribute to fulfilling the wants and needs of people with friendly service and products at the right price.

Position: Administrative Support

Resume Objective: To make my mark as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic employee who contributes to a professional staff that inspires, educates, and solves problems for customers.

You will probably have no idea who the other candidates are that you are up against for a job or how much time they have spent writing their resumes. You need every possible edge to compete and one small detail can be just enough to tip the scales in your favor. Make sure you know how to write a resume objective and the resume objective mirror method that can do just that. Copyright 2011 by Phil Baker. Freely distribute this article but please leave article, author name, copyright info, and links intact.

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How to Write Your Resume, Part 1: What's the Point?

The process of finding the right job on your career path begins with the resume. For many people, this seems a daunting task, requiring a combination of creative writing, chest-thumping and salesmanship skills that appears beyond our capabilities. However, armed with a few structural tips and a willingness to express ourselves, it can be a fairly simple process. This series of articles will show you how to write your own resume.

Open a document (or notepad) and write the following categories, one per page:

ObjectiveQualificationsAccomplishmentsExperienceEducationOther

Have a few copies of your old r?sum? handy, a few target job descriptions of positions you would like to target, and a hot cup of coffee or tea. Your journey begins now.

It's a time-honored principle of success: If you know where you want to go, you have a much better chance of getting there. It's true in you career, job search and resume-writing as well; a little pre-writing can make the ordeal much easier. (It's also a great way to get beyond that fear of the blank page staring back at you.)

When my clients tell me they don't care what they want to do, they just want a job, I typically pass on the work. The stress of unemployment or a bad work situation is extraordinary, I know, but being more anxious to get a job doesn't make you more marketable. It makes you much less marketable. If you are in a heightened state of panic, then a better question might be, where are you most marketable or employable?

The point is if you don't have a direction or focus to your job search or resume, then don't write your resume. It's usually a waste of time. Decide what you want to do and/or how you want to target your resume. You can always write a second version in an alternate direction if you need. For now, pick one primary direction and we'll call this your "master" resume. That said, write down, under Objective, what you want to do. Include ideal job title and as well as the industries and areas of expertise you may want to target.

For example, if your target is Medical Sales, then write down "Medical Sales Executive." Your target industry might be something like robotic surgical devises and non-invasive surgical devises. Also write that you will draw from your 12 years of successful sales experience in B2B sales. Don't write your objective. Just write these key points. This is the time to get organized and define the focus and target of your resume.

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