Today I want to cover one of the most important topics in your military transition – the resume. I’m going to take you first through the purpose of the resume – answering the questions what it is and why it’s important. In my next post I will explain a 3 step process to help you create your first military transition resume – answering the question of how.
Let’s get to it.
Resume – a ‘course of your life’
A resume is just a summary of your work experience, education and personal contact details. In Europe they use the expression curriculum vitae (CV) which in Latin means: [the] course of [my] life. I like the European definition because it accurately explains a resume – an overview of your life. It’s a succinct way to summarize your life background – professionally and personally – to assist companies in the hiring process.
What’s The Purpose of Your Resume?
What’s the desired action you want from your resume? I used to think the purpose of a resume was to get me the job I was after – but I was wrong.
The purpose of your resume is to get you an interview!
It may seem like a trivial point but it’s an important distinction. No document will be sufficient to get you hired. But a well-crafted resume will produce the desired action of the next step in the hiring process – an interview.
To truly understand the purpose of a resume you need to consider its use by your customer – the hiring company. Hiring companies use the resume as a filtering mechanism to weed out unqualified candidates and make sure those that remain have a potential fit for the position. It may sound impersonal, and often times it is, but recruiters don’t have the time to engage and speak to all candidates for an open position. This two page document (it can be more or less pages depending on your experience level) will most likely determine if you are even considered for the open position.
Your Resume As a Marketing Tool – a Sales Letter
Your customer may view this document as a filter but you can gain the advantage by thinking about your resume as a marketing tool.
If you’ve been following my blog you know I am passionate about the fact that every military service member and veteran needs to understand marketing as they sell and position themselves in the job market. Continuing with that theme, your resume really becomes your first marketing tool. In fact, you can think of a resume as your sales letter.
A sales letter is a direct response marketing tool. You’ve probably come across sales letters in your mailbox. Unlike TV or billboard ads which create awareness, direct response tools, such as sales letters, create just that – a direct response. The direct response which is desired by marketers is called a “call to action. “ The desired action may be to fill out an order form or reply card, click something on a website or make a phone call or look for the product in a certain store.
The ‘’call to action’’ for your resume is to get the recruiter or hiring manager to call or meet you. If you’ve created your resume properly the reviewer will be able to ‘instantly’ see the potential fit between your experience and skills and the needs of the company and the open position.
8 Seconds to Make an Impression
And I do mean ‘’instantly.’’ Time is a crucial factor in the entire process of reviewing resumes.
Scientists have found that the average person decides whether they are going to stick to something new within the first 8-18 seconds of it’s exposure.
Don Crowther, Social Media Expert
You have 8 to 18 seconds to grab someone’s attention. As you can read in the quote above this is a scientific observation. It applies to you when you open all your mail or decide on a impulse purchase at the grocery check out counter. And the same principal applies to the recruiter reviewing your resume!
Finding a business position where you fit is always tough for a veteran under the best of economic conditions. Now, in this economic environmnet the task is potentially more difficult. Why? The following three factors are increasing the number of applicants applying for the same job as you are:
1. There is an increase number of unemployed people chasing the same jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted that in January 2011 there were 14 million unemployed going after 3 million unfilled positions. That equals 4.5 applicants for each open position.
2. Increasing number of unsatisfied workers. Staffing firm Manpower and LinkedIn do routine surveys of “worker dissatisfaction.’’ In December of 2010 they found that 84% and 78% of employees are not happy at their current position. Not all of them will leave at the same time. But as the economy improves expect to see more candidates searching for new jobs.
3. Iraq and Afganistan veterans returning home. The last trend is closer to home but no less challenging. In addition to your civilian counterparts there will continue to be more veterans applying to the same jobs you are.
Whatever the exact number, expect to encounter an increasing number of applicants applying to your open position. From the hiring company’s perspective it means they will have many resumes to screen and select the best fitting canddidates.
And the recruiters will chose their short list in less then 18 seconds!
Hopefully the purpose and the importance of your military transition resume is clear to you. In the next post I will take you through a 3 step process to create your first military transition resume.
Begin Your Heroic Journey!
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