Signature 

Why your resume isn't motivating employers  

Have you ever wondered why other people less qualified than you are getting interviewed for your job (the job you wish you had)? You know you have the skills, you have written down your qualifications on your resume and yet employers do not respond to your seemingly endless submissions. The problem is probably not your lack of ability but your resume itself. If you want interviews, your resume must document your accomplishments in precisely the way employers want to see it.

So what exactly does an employer want?

Employers want to feel as if you are the one who will solve their problems and they want to believe you will be the one to help increase their bottom line. They also want to be inspired enough to get in contact with you without delay. This is a lot to ask considering a human resources agent usually spends 3-8 seconds viewing hundreds of resumes for just one position in order to narrow a pile of 200-300 resumes down to 3-7. Only then will your resume receive more than a glance. Subsequently, the first few lines of your resume will be the difference between an interview or the shredder.

The first task to giving an employer what they want is to convince them they have found “the one.” An employer wants to believe you’ve spent your entire career preparing to fill their vacancy. While that may not be entirely true, it is still your task to articulate your strengths as they relate directly to the position for which you are applying. Sometimes this could mean having more than one resume with each one highlighting those capabilities most directly relating to each position title. The more generic your resume, the further removed you may become from directly fulfilling the employer’s needs. So make sure your resume ‘speaks’ to the employer directly!

Another way to give an employer what they want to see on your resume is to focus on accomplishments rather than tasks. A task is only useful if it produces a significant result. Remember, when you fulfill an employer’s needs, you motivate them to call you in for an interview. You must be sure to include all the ways in which you achieved improvement, advancement, simplified and/or increased the bottom-line. A professional resume writer can assist you in transforming simple tasks into impressive accomplishments so never hesitate to seek the advice of a professional who’s skilled at turning boring past duties into dynamic career accomplishments.

Finally, never underestimate the power of a cover letter. Your cover letter gives you the opportunity to summarize your abilities in a personal way. A good cover letter can express your interest in a way that sets you apart from other candidates. It gives you the opportunity to creatively position yourself as unique, motivated, and perfectly ready to move on to the interview process.

During a time when competition is fierce, it is critical to never underestimate the potential of a powerfully written resume and cover letter. Designing a resume that stands out from 99% of the others takes a great amount of time and skill so be sure to do your research. If you feel you are not up for the task, seek the help of the professionals at Your Signature Resume who can successfully accomplish it for you today.