Employers looking for new employees to join their team, department or company are usually past the point of needing additional help by the time you send your resume to their facilities. Resources had to be allocated and budgets approved, job descriptions had to be developed, placement services have been notified, and even physical space in many cases, within the company’s building had to be made available for the addition of employees. Responsibility for bringing a job seeker on board with the company lies with the hiring manager. The manager wants to look good, wants to make the company money, and doesn’t want to take the blame or have to repeat the process all over again because of a poor hiring decision. So s/he is working hard to make sure the top contenders have the qualifications and are the right fit for the company’s goals and culture, before making the final decision. The job seeker as well doesn’t want to invest the time; energy or expenses participating in numerous interviews only to find out the companies are not what s/he is looking for. Time is money for the candidate; every day unemployed is putting her/him further behind financially. Even if they are still working, their current job is holding the candidate back from fulfilling her/his career dream. 

The best way to succeed the first time in finding the winning combination is through the development of a focused, honest, and powerful resume on the part of the job seeker. One that will get the attention of the hiring manager by meeting all the criteria established in the job description and even provide added value of additional achievements, skills, and experience. 

Having a clear understanding of what the hiring company is looking for is your best weapon. Use the job description, going through it line by line and making sure all the keywords, skills, or achievements sought are identified and used as examples of experience or achievements in your resume. Increase your advantage by taking this one step further and researching the company to find out what current projects, negotiations, hardships, mergers, or deals are underway. This is critical to determine if the company is a place where you would like to work, grow and plant some roots. Find ways to highlight the qualities and strengths you offer that will benefit the current conditions of the company. This can be expanded upon once asked to interview. 

Knowing you have what the company is looking for allows you to develop a compelling resume that showcases the skills and achievements necessary to benefit the company. The title of your resume must reflect the position you are seeking. Along with the Qualifications Summary a skills set, core competencies, or contributions table should be in the top third of the first page in clear, easy to read font. 

All job descriptions should be geared to fit what the company is looking for. It isn’t necessary to include everything you’ve done at each position, only the relevant or added value experiences and achievements, education, and other proficiencies. Make sure each sentence in your career document is focused on the job description goals. This ensures a powerful resume that will not be over looked. Be honest, use hard facts wherever possible and keep the direction aligned with what you can offer the company, and you will have developed an effective document  - sure to grab attention and results.