Find out why your resume should be your #1 focus when you’re looking for work
No one likes writing resumes. How can one or two pages capture someone’s entire work history, ethic, and personality? Many of us find distilling who we are as a worker into a single document to be a challenging affair. Especially as times change.
What do employers like to see? Should it be eye-catching? Should I use color? Are headshots still appreciated?
What makes this all the more difficult is that the answers to these questions can depend on your industry. With each sector having different norms and preferences for the content and design of your resume, it can feel like you’re constantly having to reinvent the wheel.
But make no mistake, even though it’s challenging, the resume is still important. Maybe the most important part of your job search.
Below, we’ll tell you four reasons why you should face the challenges of your resume head-on.
- It’s curated by you
In life, we can’t always control how people perceive us. We can share too little, too much, or sometimes just come off plain wrong. We’re multi-faceted, complex people and when it comes to meeting face-to-face, there’s always an element of a chance at play.
But a resume is different.
It puts all the power back in your hands and allows you to present your ideal self. You can take as much time as you like on your resume, perfecting it; making sure all of your experience, skills, and ambitions come through on the page.
Your resume is a chance to present the best version of yourself.
- It presents a snapshot of your experience
There’s aways a chance that you’re not the right fit for a job, but one way that employers can get a sense of how you’ll perform, is by looking at your past experience.
Placing all your relevant experience in a single document makes it easy for an employer to make a judgement call on whether the work you’ve done is a fit for their open position.
It also allows you to quantify that experience by providing hard data to show that your efforts had outcomes.
For example, in your resume, you can go beyond saying that you saved your company money by changing how they unloaded trucks and put a number to your hard work. Instead, you can show them that you saved the company five labor hours per week by implementing your new method.
Experience is more than just chunks of time; it’s how you used that time to make your workplace a better functioning place. Your resume gives you the chance to show a prospective employer exactly how much potential you have to optimize their operation.
- It can be tailored to a job posting
We understand writing one resume is hard enough, and convincing you to write more than one could be a challenge. But hear us out.
If you’re looking for a specific job, you’ll need to match your skills, experience, and values to your target job description.
Not all employers are looking for the same things, and even jobs in the same industry might have different needs from each other. So, your resume is your chance to use the information given to you to match the experience you already have to the job you’re applying for.
If the job description calls for skills in Microsoft Suite, this is a great time to list your Excel and Word skills in your resume. But remember: only highlight skills that you actually have!
- Your resume is your first impression
The number one reason that the resume is so important to your job search is that it’s your first impression. That one document is the first time a hiring manager gets a chance to know you, and while it can’t take the place of an in-person interview, it’s the first chance you get to suggest that you should be moved to the next stage of hiring.
First impressions are everything. Especially during the job search. And the way to get that initial interest is to create a compelling, targeted resume that paints you as the right person for the job.
If you were to ask our Employment Specialists what the number one thing holding back their candidates who just can’t seem to land an interview, the answer would, resoundingly be, their resume.
If you’re looking to brush up your resume and return to work or advance in your career, reach out to WorkSource. Our center is filled with Employment Specialists who have one job: to help you return to work. They can help you with your resume to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward.
In addition, our Vancouver center also partners with Goodwill to present their Resume Essentials class every Monday from 12-1 p.m.
WorkSource is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Washington Relay Service 711.
This program receives support and funding from a U.S. Department of Labor grant(s) provided through Workforce Southwest Washington. Read more about WSW federal funding at WSW Funding Disclosures: https://workforcesw.org/federal-funding-disclosure
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