Bob Van Rossum — March 1, 2018 — March 1, 2018
Marketing headhunters know the job search process is no easy feat. And knowing that one single document could determine the next stop on your journey in becoming a marketing executive is a bit nerve-racking.
The days when recruiters took their time to read a resume are long gone. Now, your resume will get a quick glance, at most. This means you have to make sure your resume catches your reader’s attention, quickly.
In a hyper-competitive market, job applicants must go the extra mile just to stand out and cut through the noise. However, marketing recruiters see marketing professionals don’t take enough time to polish up their resumes for new opportunities far too often.
Top Recruiting Firms Explain How to Make a Great First Impression with Your Resume
Top recruiting firms constantly receive an influx of resumes, making it difficult to set aside more than a few minutes to read through each one – unless it stands out, of course.
As a marketer, you must know how to properly sell yourself in the job market. That means making sure every piece of your resume is strategically written and insightful.
Creating a standout resume is a necessary skill all marketing professionals must work on if they want to successfully grow their careers. Whether you’re actively looking for a job or just looking to brush up your resume, there are certain measures everyone should take to ensure their resumes are in tip-top shape.
Before submitting your resume, make sure it’s able to answer these key questions top recruiting firms believe can make (or break) a great first impression.
1. Does your resume make sense?
First of all, your resume has to show that you took the time to write it. Any misspellings or typos are a major red flag, and won’t set a good impression.
To ensure you don’t have any unnecessary errors on your resume, ask a peer or colleague to look over it. A fresh set of eyes could be all you need to make sure your resume is in the best shape possible.
Truthfully, recruiters don’t have time to try to interpret resumes, so yours needs to be clear and conceptually make sense. Considering resumes don’t have the ability to provide as much contextual information as a normal conversation can, it’s crucial to tailor yours to speak to what you really want it to say.
The content of your resume should be logical and easy to understand. Marketing headhunters and recruiters look for logical movements and transitions between your jobs, and to gain a sense of progression within your career from your resume.
Highlight your previous roles that correlate with each other and that are aligned with the specific position you’re applying for. For instance, if you’re applying for a social media role, it doesn’t make sense to include your previous job as a nanny.
Your resume speaks for you and sets an important first impression. It not only has to accurately represent your professional credibility and skills, but reasonably align with the position you’re applying for.
2. Does your resume illustrate your career path?
Does your resume clearly represent the things you’re looking for in your next opportunity?
When evaluating resumes, marketing headhunters want to understand where candidates plan on taking their careers (long-term and short-term). Key points like your experience and objective should paint a story for the recruiter and help form the journey you plan on taking.
Employers look for candidates who will be fully committed and dedicated to the role and their organization. And if it doesn’t seem like your path would logically lead to the new opportunity you’re applying for, they might not see you as the best fit.
Overall, your resume should properly demonstrate the growth in your career and illustrate the path you’re pursuing so recruiters can gauge how a role fits within your journey.
What Makes a Good Next Step in Your Career
3. Does your resume demonstrate your value as a marketing expert?
A resume is more than just a document simply listing what you’ve done. And with only one page to communicate your expertise as a marketer, you must make every point count.
When working on your resume, you want to demonstrate the value you’ve added within your previous roles. Top recruiting firms want to understand the impact you’ve made on an organization’s bottom-line to accurately gauge your potential for an open role.
Your resume should define your unique value proposition. Tailor every point on it to show your value and your performance within the different positions you’ve had throughout your career. When sharing your skills and experience, include key metrics and quantifiable accomplishments to support your credibility.
When you’re coming into a new role, you’re more than likely replacing somebody else. Whether they left on their own terms or were let go, the standards are set high for whoever’s replacing them. That’s why your resume must speak to your expertise as a marketing master, and show that you’re truly passionate about your work.
Marketing headhunters seek candidates who take full control of their careers, and professionals that thrive to learn new things and expand their skill sets.
You want to demonstrate that you’re highly self-motivated and enthusiastic in what you do. When working on your resume, it certainly doesn’t hurt to include additional training courses or programs you’ve taken on your own. Got any certifications to highlight? Even better!
Make sure your resume highlights how you’re expanding your skill set and staying ahead of the developments in today’s digital age. This shows that you’re actively taking a part in developing your career.
4. Does your resume stand out?
From looking at your resume at first glance, does it stand out?
The visual formatting of your resume is key in catching a recruiter’s eye – if it’s done in the right way, at least. A resume that’s creative and artsy certainly catches the eye, but if your resume is hectic and hard to read – it sets a bad impression.
Never underestimate a clean and simple resume. This is something top recruiting firms realize candidates often overlook.
While you want your resume to stand out, you want it to be for the right reasons. Make sure it’s formatted correctly and that it’s clean and easy to read. Focus on the quality of your content by highlighting key points that add value to your credibility in order to make the best impression.
With such a big volume of resumes to review, recruiters look for candidates that have something to bring to the table.
Your resume should illustrate your unique skills and expertise as a marketer. Avoid any overused jargon that can come off as cliche – you don’t want to lack personality or sound like everyone else in the job market. Highlight unique achievements you’ve accomplished in your career as this will help you stand out in any job search.
5. Can your resume be understood by everyone?
Take a step back and ask yourself if your resume makes sense to someone who’s not a marketer.
Many times, resumes are sent directly to the HR department of an organization. This might be a bit unsettling knowing you wrote your resume targeted for the Head of Marketing to read.
Someone in HR who may encounter your resume may not be familiar with common marketing vocabulary, which prevents them from fully understanding the significance of certain points on your resume.
While it’s necessary for your resume to demonstrate your expertise as a marketer, it’s also important to keep in mind that some people won’t grasp the full value of it. So structure your resume to illustrate your capabilities as a top marketing expert, but also make sure it can be understood by someone who may not be one.
Conclusion
In a world where employers’ demands for top marketing talent is just as high as their expectations, marketers must find ways to make their resume stand out and provide enough value.
Top recruiting firms recognize candidates who rise above the competition and stand out in any way they can when it comes to growing their career.
The first step is to set a great first impression by making sure your resume accurately represents your expertise as a marketer and answers the specific questions we’ve discussed. This will set you on the right path and ensure that you don’t miss out on a great opportunity.
By taking full control and making sure every effort in your job search count, you will find your journey to your dream job taken to a new level.
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