It’s time to look for a new job. Now what? At Optimized Career Solutions, we’ve seen so many people believing that their next step is to re-write their resume… from scratch… for each job application. In other words, people think that “looking for a new job” means “re-creating the wheel”… every single time. It’s an incredibly daunting task. No wonder the job application process is so stressful!
There has to be a better way, and I’m here to tell you that there is. A common misconception about resume-writing is that you should just make sure it looks “nice,” with a list of past jobs and job functions, aka tasks. So many job seekers are writing their task-oriented resumes and rewriting them every single time so that their tasks match up with the tasks listed on the job description. The problem is that this creates hours of work for themselves every time a posting for their dream job goes live. In fact, many job seekers are falling into this trap, that by the time they apply to that dream job, they’re so far down the list that their resume never even gets seen, and when it does, it’s not even that impressive.
Instead, you can avoid that scenario by having a results-oriented and achievement-based resume, ready to go, that you can use again and again, never having to re-create the wheel again.
But what exactly is a results-based resume, and how does it change the entire job application process? We’re here to tell you the 3 reasons why you should have a results and achievements oriented resume:
- You’ll Be Creating a Highlight Reel of Your Career
Trust me: when recruiters, hiring managers, and other decision-makers look at your resume and see a list of job duties, their eyes will glaze over. For recruitment teams, there are just too many resumes to look at and too little time. For each job that’s posted, an average of 1400 candidates apply. From there, the applicant tracking system will narrow it down to a few hundred, which will be reviewed individually by a recruiter. The recruiter spends, on average 6-10 seconds per resume and wants to see the impact you’ve made at the companies you’ve worked. If there’s nothing on your resume to convince them that this resume belongs to a unique and dynamic individual, it will go directly in the “rejected” pile.
When you make sure your resume is achievement-oriented, you breathe life into the page. Suddenly, your resume becomes a highlight reel of your career, trimming the excess words they’ve read a thousand times before and showing them the best of what you have to offer. Not only will these highlights show them that you’re not just someone who will do the job, but that you’re someone who solves problems and brings results!
- Hiring Managers Want Results
Hiring managers don’t have the time to bring you into an interview to find out whether or not you can produce results. In your resume, don’t just write about what you’ve accomplished, but show them how your achievements made an impact on your team. A results-oriented resume will prove to them that you can make a difference.
Put yourself in their shoes—no one wants to invest in an empty promise! For recruiters, even scheduling an interview with you is an investment, which makes it all the more important that you show them beforehand that you bring results to any team.
When it comes right down to it, a hiring manager has an opening for a reason. The reason is that they have some problems that need to be fixed, and they’re hurting for people. When you can show that you’ve solved problems, brought results, and in the end, made an impact in your previous companies, they will want to bring you in immediately because they will see the potential you have to fix the problems or help improve their department. They, frankly, don’t care if you can complete the tasks on the job description, and will know that you can just by nature of your amazing accomplishments.
- You’ll Beat Your Competition by Showing Off
I know, I know. It’s hard to show off without sounding cocky. But guess what? Almost everyone else feels that way, too. That means recruiters are sifting through hundreds of resumes belonging to people who are trying to be polite! When you have a results-oriented and achievement-based resume, you have an advantage over all the other candidates—even the ones who might be more qualified than you.
At the end of the day, you’re selling an idea to them: that hiring you is the best choice they can make. Make that pitch with confidence. Be the proud peacock you deserve to be! After all, didn’t you work hard enough to deserve the attention?
Whether you’re a recruiter or a job-seeker, we at Optimized Career Solutions know that time is money. Instead of spending your time writing the 7th or 8th version of your resume, you could be optimizing that time with networking, making connections, following up, and landing those interviews.
Let us free up your time by streamlining your messaging, narrowing down your skills, and coming up with a results-oriented and achievement-based resume that will really make you stand out. Schedule your free 30-minute consultation and be sure to follow us @optimizedcareersolutions to learn more about how we can optimize your career!