Spouse Tip of the Week - Is One Resumé Enough?
Source: Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Weekly eNewsletter
Probably Not!
Resumés are important marketing tools in all job searches. They help match employer needs with job seekers who are qualified to fill their new, vacant, or hard-to-fill positions. More specifically, they show what employers are "buying" (e.g. skills, knowledge, abilities, work experience, and personal qualities) that job seekers are "selling."
Ultimately, resumés show employers how job seekers can help them achieve business success. So, it makes sense to write or fine tune your resumé so you will give employers confidence that you ARE the perfect match.
Strategies for Becoming the Perfect Match
Strategy One:
Resumés are divided into at least three stacks or electronic folders: (1) Not Qualified — resumés that won’t be provided to hiring officials; (2) Qualified — resumés that MIGHT be provided to hiring officials depending on the number and quality of resumés received; and (3) Highly Qualified — resumés of candidates that will continue moving through the screening and hiring process. You want your resumé to be in this third stack or folder. But how do you get it there?
Start by making it easy for computer search engines and recruiters to find your resumé in the flood that may be coming their way. When you read their job vacancy announcements, make sure you highlight up front and in all appropriate places within your resumé the specific key words you know they are searching for. For example, what active verbs are they using in their vacancy announcements?
Verbs are the skills employers are seeking — e.g., manage, develop, operate, sell, create, serve, analyze, write, calculate, etc. Use the employer’s words to describe your skills and work experience.
Nouns are the results of your work experience that employers want to see in your resumé — e.g. what services have you rendered, what plans have you developed, what programs, policies, and goods have you produced, what are your areas of subject matter expertise and knowledge, what awards have you won? Don’t worry about whether you got paid for your work and resulting accomplishments. Include them on your resumé just like you would include paid experience. List those accomplishments you think will best match the needs and interests of each potential employer — the things that could help this employer meet his or her future business objectives. Don’t be shy. Now is the time to shine a flashlight on your past successes.
Adjectives are important, too. They describe the type, quality, and quantity of your current and past work experience and proudest accomplishments. What type and level of experience do you have that matches the current job vacancy requirements? For example, have you worked on senior leader initiatives, social media communications and marketing plans, national best practice, or best seller products and services; been a top ten or work unit award winner; or produced a cost effective, efficient, or state-of-the-art program; or maintained a professional license or credential in several states? Highlight your most important accomplishments on your resumé.
Don’t stop here. Keep strategizing.
Strategy Two:
Don’t hide the fact that you are a military spouse. If there is a block to check on an electronic job application or profile within an employment opportunity database that tells the employer you are a military spouse, check it. It is to your advantage for them to know. Currently, there are more than 100 Fortune 500 Plus employers who are participating in the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) initiative and 300 more who are being vetted for membership by 2012. These employers are recruiting, hiring, promoting, and retaining military spouses in portable careers and employment opportunities.
Strategy Three:
Find out if there are any special hiring authorities and hiring preferences for which you qualify (USAJobs; U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Military Spouse Employment Partnership Job Board). Make sure you request these special considerations and resources at every opportunity within your job search. The federal government and the Department of Defense in particular have special hiring initiatives designed to help level the playing field for veterans and spouses seeking employment. More and more private sector employers are also offering special hiring programs as part of their employment continuity programs.
Strategy Four:
Finally, work with your network of family and friends. Make sure to provide them with a copy of your resumé so they can "socialize" it within their own network of family and friends. You may be surprised to find out who is hiring and who might be able to help get your resumé the extra attention it deserves. Timing is everything, so keep your resumé updated and circulating. And be ready for on-the-spot, same day interviews.
By taking the time to fine tune your basic resumé for each job you apply for, you can enhance your chances of getting into that third stack or folder of "best qualified" candidates — the one from which hiring officials select their job applicant finalists.
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