First: Some Words Of Wisdom From A Corporate Warrior

I can hear some of you now, words of wisdom for someone I don’t even know; but please bear with me for a moment.  The one thing I ask of you is to not succumb to the temptation to pad your resume so you can save time and take the first offer that comes and get off the rolls of the unemployed.  I know, I know it’s tempting…I’ve been there.  But take this for what it’s worth…the only thing worse than being unemployed is working day in day out at a job that makes you miserable.  It will be the hardest money you will ever earn and rarely leads to career success.  Stay with me here I’m trying to help you be both successful and happy.

Develop That “Killer” Resume and Get More Interviews and Prepare for Them More Effectively!

I will not be able to give you a complete guide to writing that “standout” resume because entire books are written with just that goal in mind.  But I can give you one or two golden nuggets that will likely not be found elsewhere.  For one great guide on resume writing visit: www.money-zine.com/Category/Resume-Writing/.

It is vitally important to develop your resume so it stands out from the “big stack” of similarly qualified resumes.  Not only does it make you stand out, it also helps a recruiter understand how you will fit into a team, and naturally begin to come up with questions they want to ask you.  This is exactly what you want!  A recruiter with questions and curiosity – they schedule interviews!  This is an easy statement to make about developing that “killer resume” but it is much harder to accomplish.  Again stay with me and I’ll explain!

The Stress of Looking For A Job

I really understand the stress and strain of trying to find a job.  In my career I have been out of work for more than a year.  It is especially stressful and frustrating in this economy.  But let’s face facts, unless you have a resume that stands out from the massive piles of resumes recruiters get each day your chances of getting an interview, much less offers, diminish greatly.  So “Job #1″ create that resume that catches the eye and delivers information that is unique and increases your odds of getting that all important interview.

Rules To Follow When Creating Your Resume

Follow the great words of Shakespeare, “To thine own self be true.”  Never paint a picture of yourself that is untrue or cannot be substantiated.  You don’t want to accept a job based on “false claims” or a position you are unprepared for or you will not be happy in.  I know it is tempting to fudge your resume or stretch the truth about yourself in order to get back into a job.  But look at it this way, you will have taken yourself off the market based on false information and that next opportunity will pass you by, not to mention the risk of ruining your reputation.  It is one thing to falsify your experience it is another to misrepresent who you truly are as a person.

So Exactly Who Are You?

Good question, huh?  This is by far the most difficult information to characterize and put on paper.  Consider these questions that potential employers are seeking answers to and will undoubtedly be raised in an interview:

• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• What motivates you?
• What demotivates you?
• How do you develop and maintain relationships?
• What are your life and work priorities?
• What are your work habits?
• How do you overcome challenges and prioritize work?

If you are not self-aware these questions can be almost impossible to understand, quantify and answer about yourself.  What makes having answers for these questions even more important is that recruiters and potential employers are paying more attention to the intangible “soft skills” exhibited by prospective candidates above and beyond education, experience, etc.  Most companies will perform a “behavioral” portion to your interview in addition to a skill-based one.  They’re likely to ask tough questions about you to see how well you know yourself – questions you might not have thought much about.  That is because it is just the information that will tell them if you will fit into their “corporate culture” and if you will be an effective and successful team player.

So How Do You Discover These Qualities and Tendencies About Yourself?

One way to find out more about you is to complete a DiSC Personality Test.  It will help you understand yourself and how your behavior affects others making your resume more effective!  It was developed by leading psychologists, has been used by more than 44 million people, and is used by more than 70% of Fortune 500 companies to develop solid, effective teams.  It will provide you with valuable information about you.

So How Do I Add Value To My Resume?

With more applicants than there are jobs, employers can be very picky.  When you apply for a job, your resume is likely to be one of hundreds the employer has received – all with similar intellectual and experiential qualifications.  A properly developed resume makes it stand out from the crowd, and highlights your unique behavioral style.  Employers are concerned with your skillset and experience.  They’re also just as concerned with how well you’ll fit into their company culture and the team you would be working with.  Because you’ll be more self-aware, you’ll more easily develop a unique resume and ace the behavioral portion of your interviews.  You’ll know how to maximize on your strengths and minimize your weaknesses as part of your resume.  By adding the information you get from the DiSC Profile to your resume you will stand out from the crowd.

The All Important Interview

After all the work of discovering who you are, developing that “killer” resume, and sending it everywhere you can think of you get a hit and you are offered an interview.  I know, you get a knot in your stomach just thinking about it.  So there you are sitting in the room and the easy part of the interview is happening, the “tell me a little about yourself” portion.  I know some of you are saying “that’s the easy part” but consider the dreaded question…”what are your weaknesses?”  Now comes the time when your mouth goes dry, your armpits get sweaty, and your stomach lurches.  Take heart, if you followed my recommendation about using a DiSC Profile to become self-aware the entire interview will be a breeze.  Because you have answers, in affirmative language, for any behavioral question you might get asked.  You are prepared.  Refer to that data and you should be fine.

You will be able to answer those tough questions with ease.  You may even find that your behavioral interviews are much shorter because the hiring manager already has had his behavioral questions answered by your resume and interview.  Companies hire not just for talent but for cultural fit – they want both head and heart!  So answer from your heart and you will be fine.

So What’s Next?

Thoroughly research the best ways to develop a resume from many sources.  But in the end add behavioral information employers are seeking and get the right “fit” for both your experience and “who you are” to maximize your success and happiness.