You are probably your own worst critic
Maria recently received a bachelor's degree in accounting. While earning her degree she worked as a front desk clerk for a Fortune 500 company where she was in charge of filing and answering Wholesale Scuba Fabrics Company a multi-line phone system.Who would you rather hire, Jose or Maria? Chances are that you named Jose as the clear winner because his experience supercedes Maria's education. Jose will be able to jump into the position with little or no training because he has hands-on knowledge of best accounting practices. Maria, on the other hand, is green.
The hiring organization would have to spend time, money, and resources to train her, which they most likely won't have an interest in doing.Show 'em what you've gotEmployers spend most of their time scrutinizing the experience section of the resume, and unfortunately, the homespun resume rarely tells the whole story. Most resume do-it-yourselfers fear their accomplishments won't fare well against the competition and they decide to embellish facts in an effort to attract an employer's attention.Again, fabricating information isn't necessary. Most likely the experience you have garnered throughout your work history is impressive.
The challenge, however, is expressing your accomplishments in a way that entices the hiring organization to give you a call.When dealing with hiring organizations you have to connect all the dots. For each position that you are applying for, there is an average of 500 applicants so you have to make it very easy for the reader to distinguish between you and every other qualified candidate. The only way to achieve that is by writing strong resume copy.As a job seeker you are intimately involved in your own search, so much so that it is hard to take a step back and write a resume that is marketable.
You are probably your own worst critic. If you have attempted to write your own resume you know how difficult it is to write about yourself objectively.To make the resume-writing process easier, answer the following questions:What skill set do you bring to the table?What are your competitive strengths?For each position you held, list three to five achievements.How is your company better off since you joined their team?Have you been involved in designing and/or implementing new initiatives?The point here is to start thinking about your career as a portrait of who you are professionally, and not just as a job. When you make that mind shift, it will be easier to put words to paper.