Most resumes are dreadfully dull.  Pity the poor boss, who needs to down a pot of coffee and prop his eyelids open with toothpicks just to stay awake reading through this drivel.

The right resume can not only get the interview, but help you manage it.  

Perhaps you have a  sophisticated interviewer.   Many are not.  Many managers have had zero training in how to conduct a good job interview.  They are handed a job description, usually created in the HR Department.  This description may or may not resemble the actual job.  They begin interviewing with a vague idea of the ideal candidate, firing trite questions from job interviewing books—and hope for the best:  

--"Tell me about yourself"

--"What are your greatest strengths?

--"Tell me about your weaknesses."

The boss is nervous.  you're nervous.  The boss is afraid he'll look bad if he hired an incompetent.  you're afraid you'll  lose the job.   It's not a good situation for anyone.  You want to help the boss to get to the information that she wants--whether she knows it or not.  The good thing for you is that what the boss wants is also your agenda:  to show how you can help with the boss's issues.

Above all, the boss wants to impress his or her boss.  Your job is to figure out what might impress that boss and show that you can make it happen.  The boss wants to hear about RESULTS, but too often, they Don't hear about any in a job interview.

The boss looks at your resume, gamely trying to find something interesting to talk about.  Unfortunately, all you've written are your past duties.  

The Boss:   "Tell me about how you sold used cars."

You:  "I sold a number of different models at a busy dealership."

No interesting stories.  No results.  No happy endings.  You flopped.  

The boss wants to hear examples of your effectiveness. Make sure your resume provides some great stories about how you've been successful—including results.  Your resume helps to guide the discussion to what you most want to sell.

Include  concise stories that  tell the situation you faced and, if appropriate, what resources were available to you:  staff, time, budget, and so on.  Describe how you resolved the issues and the results.  You might tell how you rescued a large account that was about to go to the competition, developed a program that boosted morale and cut staff turnover, or instituted safety measures that led to zero on-the-job injuries.

Also, be ready to say what you learned and how you might do things differently today.  Not only do the interviewers feel better about you, but they feel better about themselves.

By uncovering what will make the boss look good and directing attention to results-oriented stories, you'll help the boss interview you--and position yourself as the winner.

Does Your Resume Stink?
If your resume isn't cutting it, let's talk.  Give me a call.

Steve  Frederick

Frederick Career Services

847-673-0339

www.fcscareerservices.com