Who needs a resume anyhow?

For as much as people want to trumpet all of the new ways to market themselves, such as one-on-one networking, videos of themselves, and all of the social networks sites, the reality is that most companies still want to see your old fashion resume.

Arggg you say, I do not like my resume. Well, you are probably right about that, but you need to get that little slice of your life updated and looking good. As one who has seen thousands of resumes I am still shocked at how little effort that some people seem to put into that little document that can make or break a great career opportunity.

You hear always hear about the horror story of the misspellings or large gaps in the resume. That is all important, but I am talking simple things like making sure the font is the same throughout the document. Making sure everything lines up. If you have 20 years experience and no degree, please do not put your high school and the graduation date front and center. And please do not use the standard resume templates that come with MS Word. Step out from the masses and actually try to impress.

It is the little things that help make a good impression. To me a resume is like a blind date. You check yourself in the mirror, you pop a couple of mints, and you ask others how you look. Well, ask someone else to look over your resume and tell them to be critical. You need to look good the door opens for that date and your resume needs to look good when that document is opened by someone who has never met you before.

It is not about the first date for your resume, it is about the second date that is important: The face to face interview. Make sure your hair is combed (Everything is lined up and neat), your breath smells good (You highlight what you can offer to your new employer), and you are dressed nice (Fonts look good). Then you are ready to make a good showing.

Obviously it takes a lot more then these things to have a truly great resume, but for those who cannot afford to have your resume professionally done it is the small steps that can make a big difference.

If you email me I will send you a before and after resume that turned a horror of a resume to one that you would be proud to send. jhavranek@siliconcantera.com