Look, you can't afford to have your resume trashed just because you don't understand the basic rules for a successful resume. You can avoid resume rejection if you have a game plan that works.



Your resume is often the very first contact a decision-maker has with you. So, it better be a blockbuster! You better make a big impression. And fast! Otherwise your prized resume is headed for the trash.

Resume rejection starts with a misunderstanding about what a resume can do for you. Follow the rules and you can dramatically move the odds in your favor!

Rule #1: A resume doesn't get you a job. Only decisions by hiring managers can get you a job. Therefore, the best a resume can do for you is getting a hiring manager's attention. And that's how it has to be written. If you think you're going to get ahead by loading up your resume with every conceivable detail about your work history, you just lost.

Rule # 2: It must be readily scanable in 50 seconds or less. Do NOT write more than two pages. And make them very readable with wide margins and good spacing. If something pops off the page to grab the reader's attention, then your resume format may survive the first test. It may wind up on the keeper stack for later review instead of in the trash.

Rule #3: Your resume must have a headline. It's a lot like reading a newspaper. You're attracted to an article if there's a headline that grabs your attention. The same is true of a resume. Your headline is an attention-grabbing statement that states very directly what you have to offer the reader.

Rule #4: Avoid some lame "objective statement." This self-serving announcement has little or no meaning to a decision-maker. He/she could care less about what you're looking to get out of this job. The reader is interested in learning only two things: what can you do for my bottom line? . . . And what can you do to make my job easier?

Rule # 5: Make a strong "summary statement" in which you lay out in assertive language what you bring to the table that can make a difference. This should tell the reader how you expect to contribute to the team.

Remember, an employer is less interested in what you used to do for someone else. So, a dry recital of your work history is likely to wind up with a trashed resume. Keep it alive, alert and future-oriented!