About the Author: Melanie Slaugh is enthusiastic about the growing prospects and opportunities of various industries and writing articles on various consumer goods and services as a freelance writer. She writes extensively for Internet service providers on topics that present the consumer the information the need to choose the Internet package for them. She can be reached at slaugh.slaugh907 @ gmail.com.
I know you are busy applying for jobs everywhere you have the opportunity. You figure that if you get your name out there enough, you are bound to get a job somehow. But, please, don’t forget the simple, common sense things you first learned!
I have been on both sides of the table. I have been the interviewer and the interviewee. I have sent out and received resumes, electronically and in person, tons of times. Through all this I have noted some glaring omissions that I feel need to be addressed. Sometimes people applying for a job make a fatal error that cuts them out of the running before they even have a chance to shine. Don’t be one of those people. Here are three tips that will get you an interview more often.
1. Read directions – I cannot stress this enough. If you are not paying attention now, when you are looking to be hired, then how much attention will you pay once you actually have the job? Read the directions on the job posting! If it says to include a sample of your work, then do it. If it says part-time, then don’t ask if it is full or part time. If it says call and do not email, then DO not email! It is not a hard concept, and yet I see people mess it up all the time.
2. Cover page – Another easy thing to do. All you need is a standard cover page; a summary of your skills or just a polite paragraph saying why you are applying. It takes seconds to personalize it to the position you are applying for and will make a much better first impression than a blank email with an attached resume. Or, worse yet, a cut and paste version of your resume. No. Just… no.
3. Change your resume – This is another huge factor. If you have a resume that says you are looking for a marketing job and you are applying for a sales job, that’s a red flag. That means you are out the door as soon as your ideal job comes along. Take a moment to change your resume! Also, you can highlight, in your cover letter, the parts of your resume that pertain to the job you are applying for. Example: I have a background in marketing, but in my job I did a lot of salesmanship with… etc. Tada! You just became a potential candidate.
These three tips are very easy and take only seconds, yet they will get you so many more interviews than you had before. Don’t get lazy and forget the simple things. They make such a huge difference. The next time you apply, try to cover these three things. You’ll be surprised at how well it works.
What do you think? What’s other tips do you have to keep your resume out of the trash?
