About the author: Diane Johnson graduated from the University of Utah and enjoys writing, particularly about travel and adult education.
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If you’re just getting out of college, or even if you’ve been in the workforce for a while, sooner or later you’ll probably find yourself looking for another job. It’s not your fault; sometimes these things just happen. And in today’s economy, being able to set yourself apart from all the other candidates for your dream job is essential to nabbing your ideal pay grade. Since you may not meet most employers until you go into an interview, your resume has to be the absolute best it can be, so you can present yourself in the best light possible. If you want to make your resume the best it can be, make sure that you sell yourself, write the resume with your potential employer in mind, and compose your resume for the position you want, not for the position you had.
1) Sell Yourself
Far too many people don’t want to sell themselves in their resume. They think that simply jotting down their past experience in the most mundane format possible will be good enough. Well, it’s not. Make yourself seem bigger than life. Be impressive. This is the one opportunity you have to get your foot in the door; don’t waste it by being mediocre. Present your best side, and do it in a way that sounds even more impressive than you may actually be. You’re not a janitor-you are an organizational and sanitary management technician.
2) Gear Your Resume Toward Your Potential Employer
Read the employment ad and mimic the language in your resume. Chances are, the person who wrote the ad is also going to be looking at your resume, so make sure you word it the way they have, and include the attributes they are looking for. If they are looking for someone who knows databases, then you “know databases.” If they are looking for someone with extensive database experience, then you should have “extensive database experience.” It’s the same thing, but when you mimic the employer’s language, you’ll be on the same wavelength, getting you in the door faster.
3) Write for the Position You Want, Not the Position You Had
Similar to selling yourself, make sure you gear your resume toward the job you want, not the jobs you’ve had in the past. You’re looking for an upgrade, right? Then present yourself as someone who is upgraded. You could say you are looking for an “entry level position in marketing in order to gain experience.” Or you could say that you are looking for a “position on the marketing team where you can continue to expand your skill set and put your talents to use.” I don’t know about you, but I’d hire the second guy.
Resume writing is not about presenting yourself in your most raw form to your potential employer. It’s about getting dressed up in your best suit or dress, and stepping out of an imaginary Ferrari while the paparazzi flash bulbs blind you. You are awesome. You are amazing. And you can get an interview with this employer, if you can present your very best self to them.
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