DAVE'S TOP 10 RESUMÉ TIPS 
How to revamp your resumé so it will land you an interview 

By David Smith, Mandrake 

In the communications world of marketing companies, agencies and consultancies, the most valuable entity is human capital. Yet human capital -people- are much better at selling their companies or projects than themselves. 

With apologies to David Letterman's Top 10 list, here is my list of resumé tips, as an executive recruiter in the Canadian communications world. 

1. The resumé gets the interview: The purpose of your resumé/CV/career overview is to get you an interview. So when you write the resumé, get all the criteria and self-sorts out of the equation. The resumé gets you an interview!!! 

2. Your resumé is an ad for you: Just as an online or offline advertisement is about selling a brand, your resumé is an advertisement to sell YOU!! Whether your ad/resumé is sent via e-mail or on paper, make it look great!! 

3. Stopping power: The purpose of the first page of your ad/resumé is to get people to read it. What is on the first page that will get a buyer to buy what you're selling-you? What is on the first page that will get the buyer to read the second page? You're selling you, so sell it well!! 

4. The Three-Second Test: Think of your resumé as a billboard along the highway. If you can't read the key point in three seconds, you remember nothing. Look at your resumé quickly, and then have your partner or a friend look at it for three seconds. What was the first point that registered? The second? The third? Those three points are what you want the buyer to remember about you. These are the stopping points that get the buyer to read more, to read the second page and offer you an interview. 

5. Tombstone data won't get you an interview: Forget about putting your name in 20 point, bolded, underlined special script-unless, of course, you're Stephen Creet. Over half the resumés I see waste the top three inches of their ad/resumé on name, address, city, postal code, phone number, fax number and e-mail address. Some even include their age, marital status and health - yikes! On the top of your resumé, on one line put your name and e-mail address - David Smith smith@mandrake.ca. On page two, put your tombstone data at the bottom on two lines. I promise you that if you get a buyer's attention in the Three-Second Test with Stopping Power, they'll find your tombstone data! 

6. You graduated from school. Your education got you your first job. Every job after your first has little to do with your education: Therefore, put your education on page two of your resumé, keeping valuable selling space on page one for selling you! 

7. Trade a nickel for a nickel: Every one of Mandrake's more than 300 clients wants to hire a person who's already doing the same job, just at another company. So don't be shy: the job you're doing now and the previous one should be the first two points in the Three-Second Test. If you're a director, product development, shout it loud, shout it proud! Account supervisor, don't be shy, tell us why. Interactive director, even in hell, you can sell! Account manager, yell it, scream it, make people notice. 

8. References available on request: Lose this line. The only person who can't provide references has just been released from a long stay as a guest of the Canadian government. Don't tell me the blindingly obvious, use the space to sell yourself! 

9. Be industry-specific: "Career objective: I'm passionate about making a difference in an advertising/client side/interactive/marketing/telecommunications firm." That's like me saying I'm a specialist in the advertising/high-tech/interactive/Internet/sales promotion/wireless executive recruitment business. You can have more than one resumé, so make it specific to the opportunity/company you're applying to. 

10. There's no "I" in TEAM: If you include a section of interests, make it a balanced selling point. Let it provide some colour highlights about you that are consistent with the job requirements. Does the job require teamwork? If so, emphasize outside interests that require teamwork, such as team sports, politics and fundraising. Unfortunately, we spend more time with the people we work with than with our partners or families. Your potential boss is deciding whether or not s/he wants to spend a lot of time with you. Give them reasons to say yes. 

The best people don't always get the best jobs. Why? They don't get an interview. Like it or not, your resumé is the initial selling point of you. 

David Smith is a Consultant at Mandrake in Toronto.


We welcome your feedback on these articles.  Please e-mail us at pointofview@mandrake.ca .

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