From today’s mailbag: “How do I get my resume noticed when I’m applying to jobs? How do I make it stand out so I actually get a response?”
Carson: You have likely heard the phrase before that you have to sell yourself – your most valuable commodity. People buy from people, so when you are marketing your attributes and skills it is important to mirror other selling processes; namely, be unique and stand out by any practical means necessary.
1. Avoid the clichés. Frankly, double-think all of the adjectives or statements that make you out to be a team player or driven or goals-oriented or hard worker and discard them in favor of finding ways to illustrate these strengths with numbers (see next point). Think about it from a hiring manager’s perspective – everyone is telling them that they are the best candidate for the job. Show them what you’ve done to merit consideration.
2. Use lots of numbers. One of the most frequent things I see missing in resumes is numbers. You can rarely have too many. From percent increases you provoked in your previous roles to percent of goal and total number of dollars generated and people you impacted, your mission here is to show a potential employer something that makes them say – “Hey, I want this person working for me and doing these things for me!”
3. Be creative. Again, think about what other resumes look like or what is relatively easy to present (namely, a basic, generic synopsis of a role you fulfilled). Make your resume stand out. Make a video resume. Hand-deliver it. Make different versions that are easy to digest, such as in a slide show or web page format. Do the work that others won’t so you are the one who gets the attention.
3. Strength in numbers. Send your materials out feverishly, to the right people in the right way. Anyone can apply to a job online. Not everyone looks up the company or the hiring manager on LinkedIn and connects with a gracious, humble message to be followed by a request for an advice meeting. Not everyone is willing to do what it takes to meet and connect with decision makers outside of the online jobs that are posted for all to see (which prevents them from ever knowing about the jobs that aren’t posted). Not everyone is willing to tweak their resume regularly with new accomplishments and accolades.
To get attention from your resume, make your presentation stand out. Consider what your hiring manager will want to see. You are playing a numbers’ game, so the only logical approach is to tip the odds in your favor by any means necessary.
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Carson V. Heady posts for “Consult Carson” serving as the “Dear Abby” of sales and sales leadership. You may post any question that puzzles you regarding sales and sales leadership careers: interviewing, the sales process, advancing and achieving. You will also be directly contributing to his third book, “A Salesman Forever.”
Question submissions can be made via LinkedIn to Carson V. Heady, this Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carson-V-Heady/125078150858064?ref=hl , Twitter via @cvheady007 or e-mail at cvheady007@yahoo.com or you may post an anonymous comment as a reply to my WordPress blog at the bottom of this page: https://carsonvheady.wordpress.com/the-home-of-birth-of-a-salesman-2010-published-by-world-audience-inc-and-the-salesman-against-the-world-2014/
Carson V. Heady has written a book entitled “Birth of a Salesman” that has a unique spin that shows you proven sales principles designed to birth in you the top producer you were born to be.
If you would like to strengthen your sales skills, go to http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ICRVMI2/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_yGXKtb0G28TWF
The Life and Times of Carson V. Heady 