In today’s new job market, the old way of “job search” using outdated resumes simply doesn’t work.
Think about it… when was the last time you bought something f
rom a door-to-door salesman? It is time to stop knocking on doors, and giving them a copy of your “chronological obituary” (your old boring resume) and start a high impact, self-marketing job CAMPAIGN.
The Job Campaign Process
The job campaign process is composed of 5 distinct components:
- First you must have a positive attitude and confident mindset.
- Second, you must have a clear and targeted goal… “anything” in not a job title.
- Third, you must create the right communication tools to land the right job – and that includes a powerful and distinctive resume.
- Fourth, you must develop an effective, high-impact job campaign – a written tactical action plan backed with measurable weekly goals.
- Fifth, you must master just a few self- marketing skills including networking, interviewing, and acting massive disciplined action on the plan you put together in step #4.
This essay will address the only part of the job campaign process that you have 100% control over – your resume. Want professional help? Click HERE
You Self-marketing Communication Tool: The Resume
Can you imagine Coca Cola trying to package its products to look like and blend in with Pepsi? Can you imagine Nissan marketing their cars in the same was as Honda? In any competitive market, the winners stand out and the losers blend in – or don’t properly communicate their messages to prospective buyers. And here’s the real irony. It doesn’t much matter which product is best. What matters most is which product is best marketed and most recognized / accepted by the consumer.
When it comes to the US and global labor market, where competition for good jobs is fierce, most job seekers simply blend in with other competing job seekers. When it comes to their resumes, simply stated… they all look the same; they all say the same thing; they don’t stand out; and, as a result, prospective employers can’t differentiate one from the hundreds of others in the pile.
Chronological Obituaries
Most resumes are nothing more than assembly line, look-alike documents that I often referred to as chronological obituaries. These boring, ineffective documents are not created with the readers (prospective employers) in mind. Think about it – do you really think a stranger is interested in your biography? The truth is, they are not. Traditional, look-alike resumes are dull, unexciting, and communicate the same mundane information as most other resumes. They say to the prospective employer, “I don’t know my value and I don’t know how I can best benefit your company. So, please read my look-alike biography that I quickly threw together, and then you can determine where I might fit into your future plans.”
You Have Trained and Invested Too Much to Fall Short
I assume that you are an educated, intelligent individual who has a good amount of “common sense.” I also assume that you have invested years of training and have plenty of skills that are valuable to an employer – especially in today’s high unemployment job market. If you are like many in your profession, you have spent many years in academia and countless hours studying, researching, and working on your vocation outside the formal classroom. Indeed, the sad reality is that unless you master the art of self promotion, who will know about you? In other words, if you don’t blow your own horn loud and clear… who will ever hear you? How will you attract the best jobs that are worthy of your abilities? How will you STAND OUT from the thousands – or tens of thousands – of other candidates vying for the same jobs you want? Why would you ever settle for less when you have the power and control to achieve your potential?
Resume Development – The Power of the Written Word
A resume is a document that communicates clearly and precisely what results you can produce. You must begin writing the resume with the ‘reader’ in mind. What MUST prospective employers see on your resume that will get them excited about you and engaged in the resume? What MUST prospective employers see on your document that will inspire them to want to interview you?
In today’s hectic society, you have about 10-15 seconds, at most, to make a powerful first impression.
An effective resume needs to address the following 4 questions quickly and effectively:
- What position(s) are you seeking – or what are you qualified to do that is relevant to the reader (prospective employer)?
- What results can you produce that would benefit the prospective employer?
- What skills, strengths, qualifications, and value do you possess that differentiate you from your competition – other qualified candidates?
- Specifically, what results have you achieved in the past; contributions made in prior positions that would lead a prospective employer to believe you can produce them again in the future?
The 5 Benefits to Investing in Your Resume
No doubt, you did not approach your studies or your professional casually. Don’t treat your resume casually either. By working hard on your resume, you will achieve 5 major benefits:
- Your will clearly define your value to the marketplace and communicate this on the resume.
- You will identify the right job campaign strategy that aligns with your resume.
- You will gain a greater degree of confidence in marketing yourself with a well designed and crafted resume that communicates your ability to produce significant results.
- It will open doors that otherwise might not get opened.
- You will interview with more confidence and precision.