Why Doesn't Your Resume Contain a Headline?

If your local newspaper was organized like most resumes, few people would read it. Most resumes read like product manuals....very boring and matter of fact, with a few gratuitous power words thrown in. Yuck! When was the last time you got excited when reading someone else's resume?

Newspapers today use the same tried and proven successful technique today that they've employed forever. In big bold type at the top of the front page, above the fold, they tell you what the top story is. They use a short phrase that makes you stop, grab the paper, and turn to page 7 to read more about the story behind the headline. They give you a reason to want to read more. TV commercials selling products and services take the same approach. They say something at the beginning or ask a question designed to get your attention and keep you waiting for more.

So, why wouldn't you do the same with your resume? Don't you want to get someone's attention? Do you want them to read about your expertise, and decide to interview you, or even hire you?

Come on! I know you think your resume is impressive. But, everyone thinks the same about their resumes. That doesn't mean that the right people will read it! Moreover, you must know that there are people out there who are better qualified than you, who's resumes are better written than yours, and who may be more aggressively marketing themselves. In today's environment, when so many people are seeking employment, you need a hook, a reason to inspire the right people to read the details contained in your resume.

So, why take a chance on having your resume passed over? Why hope that by writing your resume the same way that thousands of other qualified professionals do, that magically yours will be read, and that the reader will fully digest what you've written, understand your background, and correctly interpret how her company will benefit by hiring you? Don't hope...make it clear! Spoon feed it to them! Tell them right up front, at the top of your resume, what benefits they'll derive. Use a headline! Don't tell them what you can do. Instead, tell them the results they'll get by hiring you!

Ok, so you want to avoid looking like a cheesy salesperson...you should! You don't need to use huge bold red type (although this approach can be effective). So, instead, use an elegant style font that's not so big, yet is big enough to catch your intended reader's eye.

Listen, Winston Churchill made it very clear that when making an important point, being subtle was not the best course of action. Read his quote at the "Quotes" section of www.AndrewZezas.com.

So, create a great headline about yourself, display it prominently atop your resume, make your point, let the readers know what they'll get by hiring you, and get that job you're seeking!

Not sure what they'll derive by hiring you? That's an entirely different discussion. But, that's something very important on which you must spend time, right now. If you don't know what benefit or value you'll create for a company, how will they know?

Figure that one out, and you'll be ahead of most of your job seeking competitors. Good luck!

Andy