So Why Do I Need A Resume Anyway?

I must say there has been a lot of talk about resumes this year. It's one of the most talked about topic next to social media and networking. But why is there so much talk about 2 pieces of paper? And, why is having a resume so important? I can think of a reason why having a resume is so important.

Before the recession nobody really gave serious thought about having an award-winning resume unless they were applying for a new job or changing careers. And, job seekers weren't knocking down the doors of resume writers either. They wrote their own resumes without putting too much thought into the process. After all the employer only needed to see my work history was the thinking back then. But now that we have heard so much about writing one let's step back and think for a minute about the why.

The recession in my opinion is not over. And, from what I hear the economy is going to take another dip. There are going to be more people unemployed now that the census is over, and my old employer Verizon Communications is laying people off again. As a matter of fact Friday (September 3rd) was their last day of work right before Labor Day. Now that's a joke. Right before Labor Day!

All of these people need to sit down and give some serious, I mean some serious thought about writing their resume. Some will seek out the services of a professional resume writer. I can tell you resume writers are swamped now. Everybody wants their resume done yesterday because they need to hit the pavement job searching. Now here's where the brand and the why come in. Since employers need to filter or weed the people out who send in their resume, only the ones that get noticed will be read. Your resume is you. Not a template you got off a job board. It has to be you!

Your resume is your brand. Your resume needs a personality. And, your resume can't be boring. Why? Because you have 8-10 seconds or less to catch the reader's attention. If it sounds and looks like everybody else's resume it won't get read. Think of the different commercials out there. They all are unique in their own way. They have a brand so they can stand out and be different and get noticed. Some commercials are noticed more than others in the way they capture our attention. That's what you have to do when creating your resume. Capture somebody's attention. Think about what makes you unique and how you can communicate that message in a creative way like a commercial. Think of your resume like a commercial.

Thinking a little differently about your resume right? You should. There is a lot of competition out there and it's going to get worst. Stop writing your resume from a template and sit down and create it from scratch, make it different, make it compelling, make it interesting, make it so the reader does not want to put it down, but read it over and over again because of what it says. Make it so they pick up the phone and call you in for an interview! That's why your resume is so important. Because you want a job interview, and another interview, and another interview until you get the job!