February 12, 2013

Sexy Resumes are Perfect to Catch Eye of Human Resources!

An effective resume should be more than a dull, boring list of previous job titles and education. If you want to show human resources that you are right for the job, you need a resume that is sexy!

Creating a resume that strikes a chord with human resources professionals, hiring managers and recruiters means crafting something that will stand out.

Now is not the time to be boring or run-of-the-mill; your resume needs to be more than just an ordinary, mundane list of jobs and training.

Your resume needs to be SEXY!

Human resources pros can be extremely busy! One in every four human resources departments get at least 50 resumes for every job opening; ten percent of all HR will receive more than 100 resumes to sift through for each job post.

What exactly do they look for in all of those resumes?

77 percent look for relevant experience
48 percent are looking for specific accomplishments
41 percent say they want resumes that are customized to the specific position

Keywords should also be present. HR often looks for specific keywords, things such as:

“Problem solving”
“Leadership”
“Oral or written communication,”
“Team building,”
“Performance and productivity improvement”

These keywords are the buzzwords to attract the attention of busy HR managers.

Do you need any other reason why a resume needs to be sexy to make an impact?

How can you “sex up” your resume? It is easier than you think.

Summarize skills, qualifications, and credentials in a well-worded, tightly concise form. Babbling about yourself constantly is not sexy.
Use short to-the-point bullet points with action items. These have a great deal more influence than full, rambling sentences. Boring is not sexy.
A sense of confidence. The job seeker needs to consider accomplishments than job titles, telling employers how they have made a difference in their current or previous positions. Whatever you do, avoid sounding self-absorbed, so find a balance between bragging and self-assuredness. Nothing is less sexy than someone full of themselves.

Never include links to personal websites, social media or networking sites that could put you in an unprofessional light. That is not desirable, and is an instant turn off for employers.

Give your resume to a friend, colleague or family member, to have another pair of eyes give it a once over; make sure you haven’t missed any typos or poorly worded descriptions. Poor grammar or bad spelling are not sexy!

For more information on how to give your resume a little “sex appeal,” as well as a few common resume mistakes to avoid, check out this infographic from TopCounselingSchools.org.

Infographic after the jump…