How to Use Your Resume Effectively

A good resume is an important job search tool, but like any tool it's only as good as the person using it. Much has been said about selling your employment skills to a prospective employer. What it takes to accomplish this is job search skills. It isn't enough to have the employment skills that an employer desires if you don't have the ability to market them. Use your resume effectively when networking.

Now that you've perfected your resume, there are some guidelines for using it effectively. Job search strategies range from the simple and common to the innovative and complex. Following are some of the more common strategies and guidelines. The successful job seeker will master these skills.

Give your resume to--

• Employers with advertised job openings
• Employers with no advertised job openings
• Employment agencies
• Vocational and college placement offices
• Personal and professional networking contacts
• Your references
• Executive recruiters
• Your instructors

• Resumes should be sent to a person by name. Avoid sending the resume to a job title such as "Production Manager." It will take extra effort, but do your research and find out the name and title of the appropriate person to whom your resume should be sent.
• If you're asked to send your resume to personnel or human resources, do so. Then also send a resume to the person in charge of the department in which you want to work. Most of the time, personnel does the screening-- it's the department manager who is the final hiring authority.
• When mailing your resume, always send it with a cover letter. Never send it by itself.
• Mass-mailing your resume to many employers, hoping that a couple of them will get someone's attention, isn't effective. The statistics are that for every 1,000 resumes you send to an employer, you can expect to get two interviews. Additionally, an accepted standard is that for every 10 interviews, you will receive one job offer.
• Look for ways to target your resume to the specific needs of the employer. This can be accomplished with a targeted resume or through the cover letter. It requires some research before sending the resume, but it will pay off in an increased number of positive responses.
• When researching an employer or employment agency, among other important information, find out if they use a resume scanning system. If they do, it will help you prepare your resume for presentation.

• Send your resume to employers even if they aren't hiring. You never know what the future will bring.
• Always follow-up the sending of your resume with a phone call to the employer. Be courteous, professional and sell your qualifications. Be sure to ask for an interview.
• When directly contacting employers, always have a copy of your resume available and take the initiative to offer it to them.
• When applying for a job with an employment application, you may want to attach your resume. The resume will add impact and should complement the application. If you're asked to fill out an application, never write on it "See resume." Take the time to fill out the application completely.
• Applying for jobs by resume can be effective in overcoming employment barriers. The resume should paint the best picture of you, while the application may paint the worst.
• Give a copy of your resume to your references. It provides them with information about you and will help them to talk to an employer about your qualifications.
• Give a copy of your resume to all networking contacts. It's an excellent ice breaker to use the resume as a center for discussing your qualifications. Ask your contacts to critique your resume.
• Always bring extra copies of your resume to an interview.
• Finally, Follow-up, Follow-up, Follow-up! It's no use mailing resumes if you don't take the time to follow-up on your efforts. If you aren't getting responses or interviews from your resume, you may want to reevaluate it. The true test of an effective resume is that you're offered interviews.

Resume Critique Form

Use this form to rate your resume, or have someone familiar with your career field rate it. Grade the resume in each category as EXCELLENT, AVERAGE or POOR. Write in suggestions for improvement.

Appearance

Does it look good without reading it?

Format

Was the best format used to sell your strengths?

Skills

Is the resume skills-based? Count the skills _________

Keywords

Are keywords and phrases easy to identify?

Focus

Does the content point to your employment objective?

Scannability

Is it designed to be easily read by a scanning system?

Proofing

Is it free from grammar, spelling or typing errors?

Length

Is it a reasonable length?

Integrity

Is it an honest presentation of your best qualities?

Appropriate

Does the content capture an employer's interest?

Creative Job Search is a service of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Ordering the Creative Job Search Guide

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