Quintessential Careers Press:
Surefire Resumes for New Graduates and Other Entry-Level Candidates
Chapter 2: Forget About the One-Size-All Resume and Cover Letter
Page 9
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Surefire resumes and cover letters are focused and as specific as possible.
The sad truth is that resumes and cover letters are read for between 2.5 and 20 seconds. So you have only the briefest moment to catch the employer's interest. The hiring decision-maker wants to know as quickly as possible: What do you want to do and what are you good at? He or she doesn't have time to wade through lots of text to find out.
So how can you sharpen the focus of your resume and cover letter?
- Consider an Objective
Statement to sharpen a
resume's focus. Although objective statements have currently
fallen out of favor, they are worth considering. The objective statement can be as simple and straightforward
as the title of the position you're applying for, which can be
adjusted for every job you apply for. Or you can embellish the
Objective statement with language telling how you'll benefit the
employer. Something like:
Objective: To contribute strong ________ skills and experience to your firm in a _________ capacity.
In years past, changing a resume was a big ordeal because it had to be typeset; changes were difficult because they had to be made by printers or typesetters. But in this day of being able to manage our own computer files, job-seekers can have several versions of your resume that are exactly the same except for the objective. A specific objective is always better than a vague or general one.
You can also embellish the position title with verbiage telling how you'll benefit the employer, following a formula such as these:
Objective: To contribute strong ________ skills and experience to your firm in a [name of position] capacity.
Objective: To contribute strong ________ skills and experience to [name of firm] in a [name of position] capacity.
Objective: A position as a/an [name of position] in which I can contribute strong ________ skills, background, and abilities in _______ with a special interest in _________.
Objective: A position as a/an [name of position] in which I can contribute strong ________ skills, background, and abilities in _______ emphasizing _________.
Objective: To contribute _________ talent and skill to directly impact the success of your organization.
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