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© by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. 
Visit  www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com. 

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It May Be Your Resume, But It’s Not About You!

By Bonnie Budzowski
President, InCredible Messages, LP

If your resume is effective, chances are that your name is at the top, but the document is focused on the reader. It probably demonstrates some of the following qualities—ones that catch a hiring manager’s attention and result in an interview:

• No Squinting is Required
  An effective resume is designed to be attractive and easy for the reader. The page looks clean and uncluttered. Fonts are recognizable and easy to read (minimum: size 12 font). The use of headings, bullets, and spacing makes it easy for your resume to be scanned.
• Results Take Precedence Over Position
  Hiring managers are not as concerned with the positions you’ve held as they are with the results you’ve achieved. Managers want to read about results in a way that convinces them you are prepared to achieve these same results or better in a new job. In a resume that convinces, claims are supported by facts and figures.
• It Demonstrates Restraint
  An effective resume considerately withholds information—because it’s unlikely a hiring manager cares that you once delivered newspapers. With the exception of academic and research vitae, the effective resume is short and to the point. It provides just enough information so that the manager wants to meet you to find out more—not about you, but about what you can do for the company.

It’s amazing to think about this: if your resume is effective, it’s not really about you. Effective communication, across all situations, is receiver-centered. Keep this in mind when you submit your next report or proposal. Those documents aren’t about you either.
 

Permission is granted to reprint this article when the following contact information is included: © 2010 by Bonnie Budzowski, President of InCredible Messages, LP. For more free articles, go to www.IncredibleMessages.com or contact Bonnie at info@IncredibleMessages.com.

Bonnie Budzowski, President of inCredible Messages, is a recognized expert—helping people to use influence and persuasion to sell their ideas and move business forward. Bonnie is a professional speaker, author and coach. She recently launched a new coaching project to help her clients "Write the Book of Their Dreams."

Clients appreciate Bonnie’s practical, humorous and high-energy approach. She holds an MA in Communication and has been called upon to work with corporations, entrepreneurs, universities, and associations.

If you’d like to sell your ideas, boost your influence, or advance your career through a book or presentation, call Bonnie at 412-828-1629, bonnie@inCredibleMessages.com or visit her website at www.inCredibleMessages.com. 

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