How to Rise Above Resume Hell: Best of reCareered

Resume Hell is where all the poor sad resumes go that never see the light of day. Do you want to be in Resume Hell?

Or would you like to rise above Resume Hell?

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It’s really not that hard for job seekers to rise above resume hell, because the vast majority of resumes do the same thing, make the same mistakes, and say the same thing. So if a candidate takes a different approach that’s thoughtful and distinctive, it’s not hard to rise above the rest into the daylight.

Tips to stay out of Resume Hell:

Be Different: Show how unique you are in business, and in your personality. Be you. Stop being afraid that what you say will disqualify you for a job – you wouldn’t want that job anyways. Be you, and find a job where you are the unique answer to company problems (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2009/10/job-search-trick-or-treat.html).

Be Specialized: Be a Subject Matter Expert, and wear it proudly - Especially if you are a manager or an executive. Your subject Matter Expertise doesn’t have to be about industry, though it can be. Your subject matter expertise can be in a specific corporate problem, solution, management technique, technology, etc. Your Subject Matter Expertise can be in Marketing, Operations, Finance or IT (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2008/02/subject-matter-experts-rule.html).

Be Most Awesome, Dude!: Write about what you accomplished. I saved X by doing Y. I increased sales by X% by doing Y. WRITE ABOUT WHAT YOU DID, NOT WHAT YOU MANAGED. Stop being ordinary, stop writing about what you managed, what you were responsible for, what you organized, participated in, or advised (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/03/employer-value-statements-make-your.html).

Be Efficient: Use your Resume Real Estate efficiently. The average reader spends 15 seconds reading a resume before making an interview/no interview decision. Make your 15 seconds count by putting the sizzle at the top, and grab the reader by the throat in the top half of the first page. Shrink headers, move summaries and skills inventories to the back (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2010/02/10-ways-to-manage-your-resume-real.html).

Be Customized: One size doesn’t fit all today. Heavily customize your resume for each job you submit your resume. Your resume should be a single use document (see http://recareered.blogspot.com/2009/09/differentiate-your-resume-with-winning.html).

Be Honest: Why lie? The truth is so much more interesting. Besides, chances are you’ll get caught by the target company or Karma.

Be Precise: You’re only perfect two times in your life - At birth, and on your resume. So you’d best spell check.

So how come so few people dare to be different? Well, we were taught to be generic resume writers, taught to write paper passed resumes, and it’s hard to change old habits.

Don’t be generic, be you. Fitting a square peg into a round hole is short sighted, and creates unworkable situations.

Instead, why not search for square holes?

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Candidates - Send Fewer Resumes: Best of reCareered

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Source: http://reCareered.blogspot.com