Resumes are one of the most important parts of the job search process. We all know that a high-quality resume can make the difference between landing that great job or getting tossed into the recycling bin without a second glance.
A professional resume is like a high-quality photograph of your career. Within that photograph, you can see incredible detail. If you have the capability to zoom in on a section, that detail is easier to see clearly. But the photograph doesn’t show you everything about the subject, does it? If you want to find out more than you see in the photograph, you need to either look at more pictures or actually talk to the person in the portrait. Basically, a photograph gives you a great glance at something, but in order to know more, you must dig deeper.
Because your resume is a limited look at who you are and how you would fit into a potential job opening, the reader is looking for details that fit their criteria. With this being said, you need to really drill down on specific questions to make sure that you are offering enough detail to the reader. Here are some great questions to address in full on your resume :
– Does this applicant have the credentials we need for the position?
– Does this applicant have the professional skills we need for the position?
– Does this applicant have assets that could compensate for a lack of credential or skill?
As a result, the details in your professional resume need to be details that matter to the reader. Keeping your “skills” section professional, for instance, means that your love of live action role play probably isn’t what they are looking for. So make sure that you only include “skills” that actually matter for the position in which you are applying. On the other hand, if you are applying for a job that involves the ability to create costumes and characters, it might be exactly what they want.
When you look at samples of professional resumes there are a variety of details in each one. Each resume has been carefully edited for the inclusion of the types of detail the potential employer is looking for. There will be a right time to share an enthusiasm for a hobby, but your resume will be much more professional and much more attractive to that potential employer if the details on your resume are applicable to the job opening.
