Are you really as good as you wrote in your resume?

December 5, 2011|How to find a job, Interesting Facts, Tips At work| No comments yet

Regardless of your career position, standing out in the throng of job seekers is the ultimate goal. Emerging professionals with little work experience to showcase, seekers of mid-career changes as well as senior executives all have the same goal in common: getting the attention of hiring managers and recruiters, nailing the interview and getting the job. In order for these things to happen, however, an impressive resume is in order.

In the competitive market of today, making an impression is everything. For many of us, the most difficult product to sell is ourselves. We know the importance of tooting our own horn, but how much is sufficient? We know that when it comes to creating an effective resume, we just can’t be shy about our accomplishments. Yet on the other hand, we don’t want to overcompensate either. Padding the facts a wee bit, or downright misrepresenting ourselves are critical actions that will sooner or later come back to haunt us. Job seekers need to always remember that when it comes to developing a meaningful, successful career, integrity is the most fundamental ingredient. Whether deliberately or innocently falsifying on a resume, the risk is too great. Even exaggerating about skills and abilities can follow a person and negatively affect a career.

When actively seeking new employment, ask yourself if you are really as skilled and accomplished as you claim to be on paper. Unsure about the answer? There is a way to test this out. Wise job seekers will not only take stock of everything they’ve achieved and personally have to offer, they will seek input from family, friends and working peers as part of the resume making process. Surveying others for their perspective on how we perform is valuable beyond measure. Comparing feedback from others with our own self-assessment can help gauge the accuracy of the resume. Ideally, this should be done periodically throughout one’s career, especially when it’s time for those all important resume makeovers.

Another good source of information can be pulled from letters of reference. This, along with listing concrete examples and demonstrated abilities, is essential when composing cover letters and discussing during job interviews. These important points should be thoughtfully planned and matched up with the resume.

In short, be sure to promote yourself well in the job market, but do be careful about going too far when describing who you are and what you’ve done.