Thanks to an amazing membership with Career Directors International I had the distinct pleasure of a booth at the most recent National Careers Job Fair. Three hours of job seekers pouring in through the doors and me and my assistant providing free resume analyses. I spoke to 100+ job seekers and found one common thread among them all. They had no idea who they were… on paper.
I must have repeated the phrase ‘what do you want to do?’ a hundred times. I know I asked all but two job seekers that question. I remember the two I didn’t ask because their resume’s stood out. They professionally branded themselves and it was very obvious exactly who they were and what they wanted.
Do you know who you are on paper? When I look at the resume the first third of it is the most important to me. Why? Because It has all the information I need to know. What do you want to do, where do I put you? How good are you at your job? Do you know who you are?
I can gather all that from the first third of your resume. Scary isn’t it? I bet it makes you wonder what your resume is saying…doesn’t it?
Listen, if you look at your resume right now and you have an objective on there and it reads: To obtain a position with an organization that utilizes my experience and education. You have no idea who you are or what you want. At least that is what your resume is telling me.
Do you have a one line introductory/positioning/branding statement on your resume? Is it followed by keywords underneath? No… well, that’s probably why you’re not getting any interviews. People like me (HR managers, recruiters, hiring managers, and decision makers) have no idea where to put you, what you’re applying to, what you want to do, and what you are qualified to do.
Enter: Professional branding statement. Get one!
As an expert resume writer my job is two fold. First, to help you figure out what your unique professional brand and value proposition are and how that aligns with your talent, passion, and vision. Secondly, to gather all of the above stated information and strategically position you as a leader and make you stand out in the crowd of thousands of other job seekers vying for the same position.
If your resume lacks a professional brand, you don’t know what professional branding is or you just know your resume needs a pick me up send it to info@greatresumesfast.com for a free resume analysis or if you are ready to take the plunge, amp up your job search and start getting interviews visit Great Resumes Fast today to order our professional resume writing service.
Jessica Holbrook is an expert resume writer, career and personal branding strategist, author, and presenter. She has written more than 100 articles that are featured on some of the best career advice Web sites today. In addition, her writing has been included in Launch pad, a career search strategy guide featuring exclusive information by the top career experts in the industry. Published quarterly, Launch pad is the respected guide used by career development centers and MBA programs throughout the country.
As CEO of Great Resumes Fast, Jessica enjoys collaborating with forward-thinking professionals and executives, identifying their personal brand and value proposition and leveraging their unique talent, passion, and vision to position them as a leader in their industry. Her passion is helping professionals and executives uncover what makes them stand out in the crowd.
Great Resumes Fast holds membership with the Association of Online Resume and Career Professionals, Career Directors International and the National Resume Writers Association.
For a free resume analysis, e-mail your resume to info@greatresumesfast.com. For a free telephone consultation, call toll free at 1.877.875.7706.