Hard Talk About Career

Twelve Qualities of a successful Resume... Has consistent quality all the way through Has perfect spelling Has perfect grammar Is loaded with Industry Standard Keywords Contains selective vocabulary that guarantees Audience Impact Has a highly distinctive style and format Is purposefully organised Highlights only your greatest strengths Makes a lasting impression INSTANTLY Avoids the 'Template' look of the average resume Won't fall into the redundancy category Represents your commitment and drive to excellence

Can I do it myself Yes, if you are atrained writer who has seen the best and worse of at least one thousand resumes and can write eloquently and flawlessly within a customised industry-accepted framework… Can you really obtain perfect results in all 12 categories above? The best solution is a professional partnership between your unique knowledge (after all, who knows yourself better than you do? - not even your wife!) and someone who can represent this knowledge on paper or electronic text that will be accepted and appreciated by those in your career field.

Two Heads are better than one Remember, the Resume Professional cannot write your resume alone. He or she will take your information, similar to the artist using a palette of paints, and use these along with other tools to create a unique masterpiece, one that is highly appealing to the industry. Watch your career information or existing resume be transformed into a truly impressive document worthy of representing the best of your measurable talents, transferable skills, and proven abilities; whether you are a recent graduate, career changer, or experienced professional; local or foreigner!

4. The little vs BIG PICTURE What you don't know WILL hurt your one chance of getting an interview! The average person writes their resume only once or twice during their entire life. Furthermore, developing a resume has been called 'the most difficult document' you will ever write. Chances are that you have not seen very many resumes nor paid much attention to the qualities that makes a resume truly outstanding. On the other hand, employers see many resumes on a daily basis. They have select criteria by which a resume is judged and can tell immediately whether a favourable impression has been formed. IT IS ONLY THIS CATEGORY, the most favourable resume, not necessarily the most qualified candidate that gets shortlisted for an interview.

5. A true Horror Story How little does it take to ruin a résumé's chance of consideration? You won't believe the answer, even though you've probably heard rumours… ALL IT TAKES IS ONE MAJOR FORMAT ERROR such as a mis-spelled word or the mis-alignment of text AND YOUR RESUME WILL BE SEPARATED SUBCONSCIOUSLY FROM THE REST in the EMPLOYER's mindset. There's such a fine line between 'impressing' and 'not impressing' just in the ONE OPPORTUNITY it takes to be considered, that its worth EVERY EFFORT to ensure success.

6. Career Insurance An investment is made with the desire of obtaining substantial gain in the short or long-term. The main factor behind a person's investing is risk. Usually, the higher the gain the greater the risk. There is much at risk when submitting a resume to an employer. How much you are willing to pay for a better chance of success and subsequent piece of mind for you and your family is actually quite affordable! A bigger gamble is taken when a person DOESN'T EVEN KNOW if their resume measures up to industry standards.

The Real Purpose of Resume Of course, the resume is a requirement for just about every job these days, but especially more so during times of economic uncertainty and retrenchments. But even if a resume were not required - would you know what purpose it serves to an employer? The Answer: It is your one chance of WINNING an AUDITION during a TALENT CONTEST without even meeting the person face-to-face! Its no lucky draw - the contestants are not equal and neither are the qualities on their resumes. Even assuming that all applicants meet the basic requirements of a job, their resumes are definitely NOT equal; some resumes are substantially better than others - and they belong to the applicants who get invited to the interviews!

8. The Bottom Line Don't leave your resume to chance - hire a professional!