You have only 15-20 seconds, at most, to get the attention of a hiring manager.
In a high unemployment job market, you just must communicate what significant results you can deliver and produce better than other qualified candidates. Common sense would dictate that assembly line, look-alike résumés won’t stand out when over 20 million people are seeking employment.
The good news is that you have 100% control over the information you include in your résumé and how you present it.
You have the ability to shout out that you are the best candidate for the job. You can accomplish this in 15-20 seconds and engage employers; entice them to want to read more of your résumé and ultimately invite you in for an interview. You do this by creating a résumé showcase. A résumé showcase makes your résumé exciting, therefore making prospective employers want to read more of it and hopefully invite you in for an interview.
To attract attention, the showcase must answer the following 3 questions in 20 seconds or less:
- What are you qualified to do that is relevant to prospective employers?
- What significant results can you produce that would justify a closer look?
- What specific skills and qualifications do you have that would lead prospective employers to believe you can produce those results; and what makes you different from your competition?