Resumes for the Colorado Job Market Demonstrating Proof of Your Performance

Resumes for the Colorado Job Market Demonstrating Proof of Your Performance If you are a professional seeking employment in our colorful state, you have no doubt polished up your resume to achieve maximum effect on Colorado employers, taking care to prepare a document that will surely pass the classic 10-15 second glance by a hiring manager and win an interview. Or have you? Here in the land of boom and bust, oil and gas, and both the great and not-so-great times in telecommunications history, employers have weathered the rush of thousands of resumes from job seekers determined to make their next move. However, the number of candidates that make the first pass is considerably smaller than most might realize. Consider adding these core components to your resume in order to make a stellar first impression on employers in the Colorado jobs marketplaceâ€"and to get your phone ringing: Skip the Fluff. Or, as is said in the resume industry, “Show, don’t tell.” If you really are self-motivated, dedicated, and innovative, detail this information rather than resorting to these words often used by the masses to market themselves to Colorado employers. Which makes a stronger impression? “Provided strong customer service and led national projects” or “Slashed marketing expenses 45% by delivering three national relationship management projects on time and under budget.” By the same token, resorting to a cute graphic will likely irritate rather than wow a hiring manager who is weary of searching for core skill sets. Strategize. Skip the objective statement in favor of a summary that shows precisely what you offer an employer. Why use “Seeking a challenging position utilizing my abilities and skills…” when you can give impressive data on your real-world strengths? Consider that “Visionary, decisive, and strategic operations leader credited with intense profitability by turning around inefficient organizations, driving groundbreaking service initiatives, and achieving quick results that elude others” hardly makes the same statement. Make use of short, clear, sentence fragmentsâ€"think marketing copyâ€"throughout the resume to add spice to your message. Beware the Functional Resume. Nothing makes an employer who has rode the ups and downs of the Colorado economy look the other way faster. This format, which delineates skill categories in lieu of giving detail on achievements at each job, is past its prime and implies that the job seeker has something to hide. Grouping your relevant expertise by using keywords appropriate for your profession is a great idea; however, take care to include the classic reverse chronology of your job history for the reader to explore. Summarize…and summarize some more. Clarity rules the day! In other words, five-page resumes are history. Don’t expect a prospective employer to read anything resembling a novel, especially when sprinkling the pronoun “I” throughout your document. While there is no “magic” length, more than eight years of professional experience typically dictates a second pageâ€"but not necessarily a thirdâ€"in the eyes of Colorado employers.