Posted under Internet Job Search, Resumes on May 28th, 2008
From time to time a prospective resume client says to me, “I don’t know what kind of job I want. I just need a resume.” Unfortunately, I have to tell that job seeker that they’re not ready to work on their resume.
I know the very thought of diving into a job search can be at once scary, daunting, and filled with unknowns. And the entire job search landscape looks and feels different than even a few years ago. But don’t start out by investing time and/or money in an unfocused, generic resume. You can’t possibly move forward with any success if you don’t know what kind of job you’ll target in your search. You can’t get a great interview-generating resume under your belt without comprehensively targeting it.
Think about the hiring decision-makers who will be reading your resume. If it doesn’t immediately strike a chord with how you’ll fit a specific job they’re trying to fill, they’ll move on to the next candidate’s resume. Everything in your resume has to align as much as possible with the specific qualifications and areas of expertise they’re looking for. With probably hundreds of resumes to review for any given position, they don’t have the time or inclination to figure out how or where you’ll fit into their organization. Your resume needs to immediately tell them you’ll be a good fit.
If you don’t have a clue about what you want to do next, a great starting point is job-hunt.org. This site is a treasure trove of free resources, articles, and links to other helpful websites. I regularly send job seekers here when they’re on the fence about their next career move. Here you can find:
~ Hundreds of informative articles to help you decide what to do next so you can focus your search and your resume.
~ Information on how to target specific employers and find their job openings.
~ Links to hundreds of sites by industry to find job descriptions for practically any kind of position.
~ Advice on how to navigate a safe, informed, and successful online job search.
The site covers so many bases it can be overwhelming. But pretty much everything you need to know about real-life and online job search is there.
Posted by Meg Guiseppi
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