5 Resume-Writing Strategies for a Competitive Market

Resume writing ideas that can change everything

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If you're a professional searching for your next opportunity in today's aggressive job market, you've probably found that the task of marketing yourself on your resume is unlike any other.

How do you sum up a long, storied career in just a few paragraphs? What is the best way to differentiate yourself on paper--and to get employers to see your value?

Standing out among the pack requires an intense emphasis on your natural leadership abilities, the impact you have on your employer's business, the feedback you get from colleagues, and the hard skills that you bring to the table.

This information comprises what is known as a "personal brand," and it has become the cornerstone of a successful professional resume in the employment arena.

Here are 5 insider tips that can help bring out your personal brand--and get your resume to open more doors for you:

1 - Hone Your Message.

Many resumes contain too much detail, which is quite understandable given the long tenure that some candidates possess.

However, it's asking a lot of hiring authorities to wade through more than 2 or 3 pages of information.

My recommendation? Sharpen the intensity of your branding message by zeroing in on your top 3-5 main qualifiers, including success stories and keywords that back these up.

In addition, focus on one career goal and skill set at a time. This may mean that you will create one resume targeting a role in Operations, and another that describes your skills for a Sales position.

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5 Hard Job Interview Questions

The job interview questions you need to pay attention to

This post was written by Brianna Raymond, a Content Writer and Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) at PongoResume.com.

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Job interviews are tough, and so are the questions. Learn how to answer five of the toughest interview questions here:

1. "Tell me about yourself."

This is not the time to share your life story. What they're looking for is a brief overview of the aspects of your experience and background that relate to the position. Talk about some accomplishments or strengths you felt really good about, and how you think they prepared you for the position you're interviewing for.

Example: "I have six years of advertising experience, and spent the past three years as the Assistant Production Manager at This Company, overseeing production schedules, hiring, and deadlines. In that time, I streamlined the workflow so that we were able to meet the deadline for every monthly print project, and in many cases we went to print well before the actual deadlines. I saved the company two weeks worth of staff overtime and expenses. Time management is one of my greatest skills, and I'm sure it would easily transfer to the Production Manager position you're offering here."

2. "What do you think is your greatest weakness?"

The best way to answer this question is honestly—mention a real weakness that won't affect your ability to do the job, or address a skill you're just learning and want to develop. Avoid calling attention to any weakness that's one of the critical qualities the hiring manager is looking for. And don't try the old "I'm a workaholic," or "I'm a perfectionist" approach.

Example: "I'm not as strong as I'd like to be on social media, so I'm spending about three hours a week blogging on topics I'm interested in, and reading some perspectives on the business-to-business value of social media. I'm already learning some things I can bring here, and hope to find more ideas on how to use social media as a customer relationship tool."

3. "What did you like least about your last (or current) job?"

Don't vent or focus on the negative with brutally honest answers such as "My boss was a jerk," or "They just weren't giving me the opportunity to take my career to the next level." Instead, keep the emphasis on the positive, even though there are sure to be things you weren't happy about.

Example: "That's a tough question to answer. I've had lots of opportunity at This Company, and I work with some outstanding people. I guess if I had to pick one thing, it would be the occasional meeting that goes an hour longer than scheduled. I like to tackle a certain number of tasks each day and that extra hour could have let me to get back to a client more quickly."

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How a New Grad Can Research an Employer

A job hunt - detective style

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Companies check out job seekers prior to hiring them, and you should be checking out companies prior to applying for employment–or, at the very least, before accepting a job offer.

At Your Fingertips

Years ago, researching a potential employer required a trip to the library. Today, library information and more are available online.

But where do you start?

The first destination is the employer’s website. It doesn’t matter if an employer is large or small; most organizations have an online presence.

Visit search engine Google, www.google.com, key in the company or organization name, and hit enter. This should return the website address you seek.

Once at the employer’s website, it’s time to assume the role of Sherlock Holmes.

What You’re Seeking

What exactly are you looking for when at a potential employer’s website? Begin at the beginning.

Operations overview of the organization. If you don’t already know, you need to find out what this potential employer does, along with its business approach.

Take a look at the “About Us” section of the website. Also look at its product or service offerings. In addition, check out its list of locations. Next, explore its list of clients, if one is provided, and/or a list of business partners.

If your potential employer is a public company you may want to look at its annual report as well.

Who’s at the helm. Then look at the management team and board of directors. What kinds of backgrounds do these people have? Does your background (or aspirations) match theirs? Are there women in senior-level positions? Does the management team include people of color?

Recent achievements. What has the organization been up to lately? To find out, visit the “Company News” or “Press Releases” section of the site. Press releases that announce record profits suggest one kind of environment, while announcements about consolidating operations and closing facilities suggest another.

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Job Interview Questions: "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

One job interview question you can't mess up

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Job interview questions can be difficult for some, but one interview question that definitely gets people frustrated is "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?" If the job seeker is too vague or even too specific in their answer they can easily fail this interview question. Watch this video to learn how to give a clear, compelling, and confident answer and ace the job interview!



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