Could a resume trigger such strong emotion in a potential employer? That's what we hope for. Potential employers live in the same world we do — although they probably read the Wall Street Journal over the Daily Gazette, they see commercials on TV, and hear them on the radio, and they have gotten jaded over the years just like the rest of us. They want to know that the characteristics promised by someone or something will actually deliver upon investment, and this is especially true in reviewing resumes. They are looking for subtle signals throughout the resume which will give them a better idea that the candidate is for real.
- See 6 Things Attorneys and Law Students Need to Remove from Their Resumes ASAP If They Want to Get Jobs with the Most Prestigious Law Firms for more information.
Many potential employers go through many resumes, and many resumes are biographies or snapshots of individuals' careers instead of being geared to the specific needs of a potential employer. A resume is a vehicle through which an initial match can be discovered between a candidate (you) and a potential employer. Especially if you are making a career change, your goal should be figuring out, first, what experience and skills you have that potential employers are looking for and, second, how to present that information in the most attractive and easy-to-process form possible.
First impressions can be everything in a resume, and if we exhibit confidence and charm, often a slight punctuation error will be overlooked. Confidence can be won when we know what skills and experience we have that make us marketable and we also know how to relay that information in an effective manner. Some of us are stronger in speaking with people than in producing a document with the same information, and others of us are just the opposite. Take advantage of job-coaching and resume-writing services to assist you in your career search.