Did you know that only one interview is granted for every 200 resumes received and read by the average employer. Research also states that your resume will be quickly scanned, not read. 30 seconds is all the time you have to persuade a prospective employer to read further. This means that any decision to interview is usually based on an overall first impression of the resume. Your resume must impress the reader from the moment they pick it up and begin to scan through. It is clear then that the top half of the first page of your resume will either make or break you. By the time these first few lines have been read, you have either caught their attention/interest or your resume has failed. Think about that for a moment..

So when you look at how to write resumecontent, how are you going to make sure your resume is that one that is picked from the 200?

FOCUS ON THE EMPLOYERS NEEDS, NOT YOURS

Put yourself in the position of the person doing the hiring. This will be a person who cares so deeply how well the job is to be done. Your resume needs to be written to directly appeal to this person.

Ask yourself a few questions: What would make a person the perfect candidate? What does the employer really want? What special abilities does this person need to have? What skills/attributes would set this person apart from merely a good candidate?

When answering the above questions, don’t make any wild guesses unless you really have to. Think outside the box and use your prospective employer for the answers. Pick up the phone and ask the employer what they want. Don’t be surprised if they tell you! Remember, this is a very important step and it needs to be done well. If you are not addressing and providing answers to their real needs they will not respond to your resume.