Sometime ago I wrote a couple of posts about resumés. They seem even more appropriate now because every day we receive even greater numbers of resumés. How do you get someone to read yours with all this “clutter?”

Most resumés focus on the individual’s experience. After all, “you” are the product it is selling. It’s easy to believe that the more things you have done, the better you will fit into a position someone wants to fill. But you might have skipped a critical step.

Think about a salesperson who walks into a potential new customer and talks about the features and benefits of the product – without determining the customer’s requirements. How successful is he likely to be? Understanding who will be reading your resumé provides insight into what they are looking for.

But how do you determine this? If your resumé is shared with others within the organization, how do you make it attractive to each?

I can guarantee that it won’t be by listing of all the things you have done. That may come later, after at least mild interest has been created. Catching someone’s attention, and maybe their imagination, requires that they understand what you have accomplished; where you have succeeded.

After all, a resumé is no more than a preliminary step, an advertisement targeted at getting you a conversation, and “into the recruiting process.”

If you will look at my other posts I believe you will get some ideas. My next post will continue on this theme and also contain more specific thoughts and suggestions that will help you to break through that clutter.