Ready, Aim, On Fire!

Here’s a nice surprise.

The lead article in the September 12-13, 2009 weekend edition of the Wall Street Journal displayed the headline: Economic Confidence Rebounds. Whether it’s true or not remains to be seen. But…

…the article reported that “economists and consumers are feeling better about the economy a year after the most frightening moments of the financial crisis.” Forecasters surveyed by the Journal, “now see employers slowly adding jobs over the next 12 months. And the latest reading of consumer spirits shows signs of optimism.”

The article states that although most economists still expect the unemployment rate to rise from today’s 9.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics) to 10.2%, they also believe that early in 2010, it will begin to fall — a wonderful prediction!

So things may be looking up! Are you ready?

To prepare, consider a recent CareerCast article in which HR consultant, recruiter, author and commentator Peter Weddle cited these findings from “a recent survey.”

• 27% of HR managers receive an average of 50 resumes for every one of their available jobs
• 13% of HR managers actually receive more than 100 resumes for each job opening
• 41% say they ignore generic resumes submitted for jobs with specific requirements

At first glance, you may find these statistics daunting. But, let’s add some context. The vast majority of the resumes submitted to us for improvement in Resume Room come in overcrowded with bullets, overstocked with jargon, and underwhelming in impact. So…

• If 49 of 50 resumes belong to your competitors AND those resumes are predictably difficult-to-read, bland and lifeless then YOU have a tremendous opportunity to shine.
• If 99 of 100 resumes belong to your competitors AND those resumes follow a predictable resume template then YOUR vivid, compelling, results-oriented resume can stand out and command attention!
• If nearly half of all HR managers ignore generic resumes, why would you EVER send one when it’s so easy to customize your resume for a specific job?

Bottom line: If the experts are correct, both the economy and hiring may be on the rise. If they’re right — and even if they’re wrong…

NOW IS THE TIME to get ready and aim with a resume that’s on fire!

Be certain that your resume is formatted for readability, that readers can skim it and absorb your most appealing qualities and successes, and most importantly, that it clearly demonstrates what makes you unique and the value you can bring to your next employer!

Sandra Podesta is the host of Resume Room, the live, online workshop that helps jobhunters create attention-grabbing, results-producing, impossible-to-ignore resumes beginning at just $29.99. Through her workshop, online newsletter, and book/CD-Rom, 201 Killer Cover Letters, she is recognized for showing jobhunters how to market themselves effectively even in the toughest of labor markets.

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