Move your resume to the top of the pile

Many people think a new job hunt means quickly saturating the market with an updated resume. There’s no time to waste, or so they think. But what if job hunters are actually wasting time by scattering their resumes fast and furiously at the first inkling that they might be in the market for new work?

 

Some career experts say that’s just what they’re doing. A more well-defined strategy might be the key to landing your ideal job.

Identify your goals

You’re not going to get where you want to be if you don’t know what you want. Make a list of organizations you’d like to work for.  That way you can tailor your resume to specific areas of interest to each company. For example, if your desired company operates internationally, you’ll want to bump up the work you’ve done for clients abroad.

Look to your network

Go through your contacts to determine if anyone has an inside track with one of your preferred companies. This helps ensure that your resume gets into the hands of someone with influence, rather than being deleted or destined to live at the bottom of a stack.

Use numbers and words for maximum impact

When you use numbers to describe your accomplishments, it paints a more vivid, memorable picture in the reader’s mind. Action words also grab the hiring manager’s attention. The Web site, #1 Resume Writing Services gives this example:

Personalize it

Show them you’ve done your research by mentioning some things you admire about the company in your cover letter or in a personal note attached to your resume. Whether you state that you’re impressed with their list of prestigious clients, or if you’ve heard personally from someone about the quality of the organization’s work, it’s a great way to connect with a would-be employer.

Update often

If your resume’s not generating any responses, re-evaluate it. Have you tailored your document to match the employers’ job descriptions? Use the same keywords you find in their postings to describe your skills and experience. Then check to see if you’ve effectively told your story. The Wall Street Journal suggests sitting down and writing about a challenging work situation, much like you would write a story. Be sure to describe the initiative you took to solve the problem or deal with the issue. After that, whittle the document down to concise descriptive bullet points.