THE RESUME HOT ZONE Submitted by Alicia Buzan
The resume “hot zone” is the top third of the first page of your resume. This is where you’re going to want to make sure that you’re catching the attention of the reader by using impact statements and strategic keywords and really showing your value. This is where you want to prove to the reader what you’ve done, what you’re good at, and how you can benefit the company. You want to fill this area with some of your successes, some of the things that you’re known for, what your reputation is as an employee.
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Tailor your Professional Value Proposition (PVP) You need to tailor the job title every time that you’re applying for a new job. By doing this, it’s going to show the hiring managers your value, and it also immediately shows them your expertise so that they want to keep reading the resume, because they know exactly what it is you’re applying to do. So your PVP, or your professional value proposition, is really what makes you different. This is what you need to prove your value, this is where you want to make sure that you’re tailoring it, showing your value, and really making an impact with what you’re saying about yourself so that it entices them to call you for that interview, to continue reading your resume, and really want to bring you in for your next new role. What you really need to do, is you need to dig out your accomplishments. What you can do is think about things that you’re proud of, think of ways that maybe you’ve saved money for the company, that you’ve benefited the company, that you’ve done to streamline processes, or put new processes in place. These are difference makers for you, and this is the kind of information that you always want to put in your resume. You always want to try to come up with things that you can quantify. So, look for metrics, look for percentages, look for solid numbers, because the eye is automatically drawn to numbers, percentages, and bullets. And when you can use that in a resume, there’s almost a guarantee that somebody’s going to stop and read that resume. So, the keyword section is a really important part of your resume. Without this section, you risk being filtered out by those tricky ATS [SP] systems. By putting a keyword section into the top half of your resume, you’re allowing yourself to be found, basically is how this works. So, what you need to do is find a job posting that you’re really interested in, and pull action keywords out of there that really grab your attention, and find ways to weave those into your resume. Or you can also develop their own keyword section, and plug those words in. That way, it increases the probability of somebody actually reading that resume, as well as not being filtering out through the ATS systems.
About RiseSmart RiseSmart, a Randstad company, is a leading provider of contemporary career transition services that strengthen employer brands, improve retention and re-engage talent. RiseSmart's contemporary approach to outplacement combines personalized services from trained professionals with unmatched technology delivered through a convenient, cloud-based platform. For more information about how enterprise career management can help you, visit http://www.risesmart.com.
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©2015 RiseSmart, Inc.