Resumes that get you hired won’t turn off employers.
Even when you hire the best executive writing service to write your resume and cover letter, many hiring agents will only take a second to skim them. It’s important to grab their attention so your resume doesn’t end up filed away with all the rest. What are they looking for? What makes them read on or lay a resume aside? Is it possible to write resumes that get you hired?
There are several things potential employers may find off putting. Here are a few things to avoid so your executive resume bio gets read and considered.
Over Used Phrases – One of the biggest red flags for an employer is seeing the same phrases or descriptions over and over again. There are some claims virtually any person can make about themselves and their skills. Avoid over used terms like “self-starter,” creative” or “problem solver.” Rather than using cliché phrases, describe your experiences and share your accomplishments.
Grammatical Mistakes – Resumes that get you hiredwill be free from grammatical and spelling errors. Today almost everyone uses a word processor that contains a spell checker. There’s no excuse for these kinds of mistakes. Have someone else look over your resume or look for the best executive writing service to help with the writing so you can avoid these costly mistakes. If your resume is riddled with grammatical or spelling errors, you are telling the hiring agent you do not care about your work either.
Poorly Written Content – Even though you may not need to have strong writing skills for the job you want, it’s important to have well written content in your cover letter and resume. Your writing skills may not be necessary for your position, but it will demonstrate you can communicate effectively. It can also speak of your level of professionalism and education and show how much you care. Take time to write your cover letter and executive resume bio in an educated and professional manner.
Not Demonstrating Professionalism – Make sure to keep your resume on a professional level. If the hiring agent is reading information about your private life, such as a spouse or how many kids you have, they are likely to ignore your resume or application altogether. Limit your information to areas related to your qualifications and skills.
Huge Gaps of Time Between Jobs – Fill in open areas of unemployment with explanations. A potential employer who sees a huge gap in your employment history will likely have lots of questions. They may think you are hiding something, such as a position you left without notice or one from which you were fired. They might think you left the hole deliberately and will wonder just what you are hiding.
If you want to write resumes that get you hired,avoid these practices. Keep it professional, error free and focused on what you have to offer the company. You want them to see why you are the best person for the position. Don’t give them a reason to ignore your resume.
Don't Make These Common Executive Resume Mistakes!
Professional executive resume writers can help you avoid serious mistakes.
Just because one step of a larger process is the shortest doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the easiest. Take a job search, for example. The resume is often the briefest part of applying for a job. It’s often one page in length, and recruiters themselves only glance at them for a few seconds. However, the quality of your resume can make or break your ability to get hired. While you only have a few seconds, you should make them count. Figuring out how to market yourself to employers through your resume is the trickiest part. Luckily, our team of professional executive resume writers have helped us put together a list of ways you could be hurting your resume and your chances of landing your next position.
Don’t Include Jobs That Were Unpleasant or Didn’t Last Long
This will look dubious to employers at best because listing your shorter positions will lead to questions of why you weren’t there for long. Similarly, don’t include jobs that were nothing but an unpleasant experience for you. If you end up being asked about them during the interview process, you’ll likely have nothing good to say, which can impact this important first impression.
You Don’t Need to Write Out an Objective
Everyone applies to a job in hopes of scoring the position. Unless you are applying for a job in a completely different industry than what you’ve previously worked in, it’s fine to not summarize your intentions.
Don’t Write Fluff About Yourself
While you want to make yourself sound like the best choice, expounding upon all of your positive qualities is not the best way to go about it. When you make it to your first interview, your potential employer will size up what your assets are and what you can bring to the position and company.
Don’t Include Any Work Experiences That Don’t Pertain to Your Industry
Unless an otherwise irrelevant former position displays talents, skills or duties connected to the industry you’re in now, it would be a good idea to cut it out. It’s up to you to determine just how relevant your older positions are and whether they’re worth keeping.
There’s No Need to Include Your Photo
Most resumes will not ask for this, unless you’re in the modeling industry. If you’re in an executive field, you won’t need a picture at all. In fact, attaching one could, unfortunately, leave you vulnerable to hiring discrimination. We recommend avoiding adding photographs altogether.
Don’t Get Too Personal
You could easily get your potential employer in some hot water because they aren’t supposed to request certain personal details, such as your SSN, religion or personal traits.
Writing an eye-catching resume can be a tricky task. We hope these tips will be just what you need to help you write resumes that get you hired. If you find you need extra help, top rated resume writing services are available to help you improve your resume and land your next great job!
Resumes and cover letters should be targeted to the job.
For many people, executive resumes are the most difficult to master, which is why many executives looking for new jobs seek professional resume writing services. So what does it take to craft winning executive resumes that gets you hired? Targeting is the master key.
What Is Targeting?
Targeting means catering your job hunting efforts to a specific role in the industry you hope to work for so you know exactly how to market yourself to potential employers. To do this, it is a good idea to research the field you’re trying to break into. This will tell you what is expected of you and can give you a sense of how to reformat your search efforts.
How Should I Research?
The first and best thing to do would be to look up information about the job positions you’re interested in. Get to know the skills required for this position across various types of companies because differently sized companies tend to want different skills for the same positions. You’ll want to craft a resume that works for both ends of the spectrum, from small businesses to massive corporations.
How Do I Tailor My Resume to Specific Companies?
Start with the researching process and get to know everything there is to know about the position you want. Then you can proceed with getting to the heart of what your ideal position entails. Write out everything about how the position works and use that as a framework for your resume. Depending on the type of companies you’re aiming to send applications to, you may want to craft two resumes that suit their individual needs. You can write several versions of a resume just by keeping them concise and tailored to the needs of the specific position you want.
There are a number of important things to consider while trying to write your resume, including:
The regional scope of the company (for example, whether they are international or local)
The title(s) of the position(s) you want
How much interaction you’ll have with other employees in the company
The title(s) of your superior(s)
The goals of the position relative to the company
How large the company is
The variety of job duties you’ll have in this position
What the work environment is like at the company
Any specific industries you would most prefer to work in
Writing specific and goal-oriented resumes and cover letters becomes much easier when you know your focus. All it takes is a little research regarding what you want and some critical thought to narrow your goals down to the basics. The next step is taking what you’ve learned and applying it to your resume. By using these tools, you should be well on your way to crafting resumes that get you hired. However, if you need a little extra help, don’t hesitate to enlist the assistance of a professional resume writing service.
Will a General Resume Work for Your Executive Job Search?
A general resume is exactly that – general. When seeking an executive position, your resume needs to be a focused presentation of relevant skills. You need to be able to demonstrate how you can benefit your target company in an executive capacity. The types of resumes that get you hired are polished, concise and tightly targeted. Writing a professional resume highlighting core executive talents is a must. If you aren’t confident in your ability to market yourself and your specific strengths successfully, hire the best executive resume writing service you can.
Targeted and Concise
In today’s human resources department, your resume is quite likely to be ‘read’ by applicant tracking systems or software before it is seen by HR personnel. Due to this, industry-related keywords are an essential part of resumes that get you hired. Without those keywords in a natural, correct concentration, your resume isn’t likely to make it past the applicant tracking program. Using a general resume almost guarantees a company using this hiring tool will pass over your resume completely.
Once your resume gets in front of human eyes, industry experts estimate it has about 10 seconds to capture the attention and interest of a hiring manager. One of the best executive resume writing service skills is the concise, direct presentation of the most relevant information, the information the reader uses to decide if it is worth reading any further. That alone is worth considering professional executive resume preparation.
Don’t Stray from the Purpose
While who you are, what you’ve done and how much you know all have value, resumes that get you hired are not quite so “I”-focused. Instead, that information is relayed in the context of what specifically you can do for that company should you garner that executive position. That is what potential employers are interested in: how choosing you will benefit their company in real, concrete terms. Your general resume simply can’t accomplish that.
The Art of Presentation
Another of the best executive resume writing service advantages has to do with how responsible and professional it makes you appear. That is more than your education, work history, skills and talents. A polished, professional executive resume has no spelling or grammar errors. It is professional and efficient in style, adhering to formal executive business communication norms. These things communicate information, letting potential employers know what they can expect in your professional demeanor and executive style.
Don’t Waste Time and Effort
In this competitive job market, a general resume, especially when seeking an executive position, is a waste of time. It is unlikely to yield the results you hope for and can actually harm your chances of landing the position you want. Instead, invest time and effort in crafting targeted, professional resumes that get you hired. If you aren’t up-to-date with the latest in successful resume writing, invest in having your executive resume professionally written for you.
Should You Use Your Blog as a Professional Resume?
You know you need resumes that get you hired, but what is the best executive resume format? While most people still rely on traditional layouts for their resume, others are looking for something different to help them stand out from the other candidates. Many professionals have a blog they use to showcase their expertise, but is it really the best way to let your prospective employer know you are a good fit for the position?
A More Authentic Feel
When people are putting together their resumes, they often put their best foot forward, working hard to make sure everything is worded in a way that appeals to employers. Creating blog posts is an entirely different process that typically gives employers insight into your personality and can provide a more authentic feel for whether you will be a good fit for their business. They will be able to get inside your head and see how you think to help them make a more informed hiring decision.
A More Detailed Sales Pitch
Resumes that get you hired only give employers a brief snap shot of your career and the skills you have to offer. While some employers only need this information, along with an interview, more employers today are interested in making sure individuals are the perfect fit before extending an offer. A blog can give them a more in-depth look at what you know and whether you have the skills necessary to get the job done. In fact, there are people who have been hired based on their blog alone.
Other Benefits of a Blog as a Resume
There have been many other benefits to considering a blog in place of or as a supplement to your resume. Using your blog can be an excellent way to distinguish yourself from the other candidates for a job. It also provides insight into how well you can express yourself and your ideas. If you are applying for a job that requires a solid understanding of blogging and how it can be used, having a blog that can at least supplement your resume is an absolute necessity.
Blogging may seem like a great way to share ideas and provide readers with valuable insight about your industry, but today, it can actually help you land a job as well. In fact, many employers are searching the Internet to gather more information on candidates, even if they have already submitted a traditional resume. While it may not yet be the best resume format, it is a valuable tool you can use to increase your chances of landing the job. An executive resume writing service can help you determine whether the blog should serve as a replacement of or a supplement to your resume.
These Small Resume Changes Have the Largest Impact
An executive resume writing service can help you make minor changes.
Writing resumes that get you hired may seem like a lot of work, but once you have a resume written, just a few minor adjustments can make a major difference in your level of success. An executive resume writing service can help you determine which changes need to be made and then implement them into your resume. The following small changes can improve your resume and help you stand out from the other candidates.
Eliminate the Objective
The objective was once used to attract the attention of prospective employers, but it’s no longer necessary to get you hired. In fact, the top-rated resume writing services will no longer use this feature in the resumes they create. Today’s employers want to know how you can help them, not what you want out of a job, making this practice outdated.
Use a Profile Section Instead
The profile section has vastly replaced the objective at the top of the resume. This profile is a quick summary of your relevant skills and experience and consists of just a few short sentences or bullet points. This section should frame you in a positive light and make employers want to learn more about you.
Focus on Your Accomplishments
A professional resume writing service will help you highlight your accomplishments, rather than the duties of your previous employment. While it’s important to let your future employers know what you are capable of doing, phrasing the information to show what you have accomplished will put you in a better light and improve your chances of success.
Minimize the Text
Big blocks of text can muddle your resume and make it more intimidating for hiring managers to read. In fact, they may see the text and immediately put your resume at the bottom of the pile or even in the recycle bin. Bullet points can be a great way to keep your resume short and to the point.
Keep It Short
Your resume doesn’t have to be limited to one page like in the past, but resumes that get you hired will still be short and to the point. Don’t include anything that isn’t relevant to the position you are applying for. Also, make sure it can be easily scanned. Hiring managers often don’t have time to read through all of the resumes they receive so they are more likely to scan for certain words that spark their interest.
Remove Items That Don’t Highlight Strengths
Anything that doesn’t tell your prospective employers why you are a good fit for their company doesn’t belong in your resume. For instance, you don’t want to create a large section that goes over every minor duty you had at your last job. Instead, break it down to tasks that relate to the job at hand, as well as let them know what you were able to accomplish.
Avoid these mistakes on resumes that get you hired.
When writing resumes that get you hired, it’s evident you need to make sure yours stands out from the hundreds or thousands of others a company receives. Unfortunately, many people think this means they can break all the rules. Professional executive resume writers will tell you otherwise. This is why it’s often best to work with professional resume writing services to ensure you stand out while following the rules.
1. References Available Upon Request
When you’re applying for a job, it’s an unspoken understanding you will provide references upon the request of the interviewing company. There’s no need to write this statement on your resume. In fact, it simply takes up critical space you could use to highlight your skills and lets the hiring manager know you don’t understand the rules.
2. Including Non-Related Personal Interests
Many hiring managers ask about personal interests to get a feel for your personality and how you will fit into the company culture. It is also designed to show off your skills. Professional resume writing services recommend listing only personal interest that align with a job-specific skill, giving the recruiter a clearer picture of what you can offer.
3. Listing Duties, Not Achievements
One common factor in resumes that get you hired is the listing of achievements gained at past employment opportunities. What you did at your past jobs may play a role in whether you are qualified for a new position, but employers want to see where you have gone above and beyond. Listing all of your achievements will show them you are a valued employee and can be an asset to their team.
4. Dressing Up the Layout
In order to stand out, many people attempt to get creative with their resume and cause more problems as a result. Some people use a variety of fonts, as well as even different colors to offset information they want to highlight. In most cases, this is a serious mistake that will get your resume thrown away, rather than read.
5. Using Chronological Order
It may seem ideal to start with your most current job first, but this isn’t often the best way to approach your executive resume. When you’re applying for a high-level job, it’s more important to highlight the most relevant skills first. This will place focus on why you are the perfect candidate for this job over the other resumes that may be in the pile.
Because there are so many mistakes that can be made, it’s often important to work with professional executive resume writers to ensure your resume is ready to go. Resumes that get you hired stand out from the crowd without breaking the conventional resume rules. If you don’t have a firm understanding of those rules, you could delay your ability to get the job you want.
Writing an effective resume is just the beginning of getting the job.
You’ve already spent your time writing an effective resume and have gone through the interview process with a potential employer. Determining the next step is critical to increase your chances of getting hired, but what is that next step? Some people simply wait by the phone or check their email repeatedly, waiting for word regarding whether they are invited for another interview or to accept an offer. In addition to writing resumes that get you hired, it’s important to evaluate whether a follow up is really necessary.
You Haven’t Heard Anything Regarding Your Application
In some situations, you may have submitted your application several days or a week ago and have not heard from the prospective employer. While this can be an indicator of disinterest, it could also mean the hiring team hasn’t had a chance to review your application or make interview phone calls. If there was no date indicated for replying to applications, it is acceptable to call the individual responsible for hiring to inquire about the status of your resume. When you make this phone call, make sure you get straight to the point in a polite manner. Ask whether they have received your application and if they require additional information to help them make the right decision. One call should be sufficient to attract their attention and keep you at the top of the executive bio pile.
After the Interview
Once you land your interview, how you respond after the fact can play a dramatic role in whether you are considered for the job. While a phone call isn’t necessary at this point, common courtesy dictates sending a hand-written thank you note or email as soon after the interview as possible. Thank them for spending the time with you and let them know you look forward to becoming a valuable member of their team. Too few candidates follow up after an in-person or over-the-phone interview, which means you will stand above the other candidates if you do.
Writing an effective resume is one of the best ways to make a great first impression when you apply for a new job, but it isn’t the only factor. In addition to creating resumes that get you hired, make sure you know when to follow up and how so you can make a lasting impression and increase your chances of landing the job of your dreams.
