The days of simply relying on a resume and cover letter to make a job seeker competitive and memorable in a sea of qualified candidates, are long gone. The problem lies in the fact that a huge majority of job seekers are not aware of this critical fact, or worse yet... ignore it and continue to hang on to outdated beliefs that a resume is the only tool they need to land awesome interviews.
My purpose in writing this article is to inform you that a resume is not good enough to sell you anymore, not in today's competitive job market. You may be losing job opportunities because you have not made yourself memorable, and the other candidates did.
Many candidates leave interviews believing they did a great job answering questions and asking questions in return. Then they are stunned to find out they weren't offered the job. Naturally, there many be several reasons that led to the decision, but one conclusion I have reached is the job seeker simply failed to provide enough concrete information and didn't take the critical steps to make themselves MEMORABLE.
Let's explore a few solutions that will make you memorable.
A BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY STATEMENT. Did you develop an awesome philosophy statement that describes what you believe? Do the hiring managers now truly understand you?
A MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY. If you are a manager or executive, did you leave behind a comprehensive document spelling out your management philosophy?
CRITICAL LEADERSHIP ADDENDUM. Did you leave proof of your leadership experiences that state, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are a superb leader who effectively deals with crisis and business challenges? Did you show you have the intelligence to lead major companies through all types of business events and problems? Are they now clear about your talents in these areas?
PROJECT SUCCESSES. Did you succinctly outline your projects and successes - did you tap into the company's pain and provide solutions?
PROBLEM / RESOLUTION. Did you outline ways you will hit the ground running to resolve their company and industry problems?
REFERENCE DOSSIER. Did you provide a superb dossier with critical reference letters, performance appraisal comments, and other words echoed among your colleagues that illustrate you are a super star?
KUDOS / ACCOLADES PORTFOLIO. Did you bring any proof to the interview that you have been acknowledged for your successes?
ACHIEVEMENT PROFILE. Did you leave any proof with lasting memories that you have been successful? Did the interviewers "get" your successes?
CD-s, POWERPOINT PRESENTATIONS. Many people are visual so using PowerPoint presentations to illustrate key talking points is a good idea. Leaving a CD behind with different career information is a powerful marketing tool and certainly will make you memorable.
BIO. In addition to the resume, use a Bio, a quick snapshot of your career.
EXCERPTS FROM CAREER ASSESSMENT TOOLS. Sort through career assessment tools and select key statements that will be of value to your prospective employers. This is "back up" information to support your career.
These are just a FEW of the marketing tools you can incorporate into your job search to make you viewed as a VERY TALENTED & MEMORABLE CANDIDATE, and to separate you from other candidates.
In today's technology-driven era, a job seeker can't afford to ignore these tools. Resumes just aren't enough to sell your VALUE to target employers. Competition grows every day and you need to out-think and out-smart your competition.
Blogs, personal job seeking websites, and e-portfolios are becoming more mainstream. Integrate them into your job search.
I would encourage you to highly consider many of these solutions to grab and keep the attention of prospective companies. You will need to make a monetary investment in these solutions, but it's critical to your success.
Go "Beyond the Resume" and experience success!
If you have any questions or need help with any of these solutions, contact me at info@agreatresume.com or 1-800-265-6901. JoAnn Nix, Certified Professional Resume Writer
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