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Personal Growth — December 20, 2014

Don’t Forget That Your Résumé is a Marketing Document

The sole purpose of a résumé or CV is to sell one’s expertise to a hiring manager. Losing track of this aim will inevitably lead to a lackluster résumé.

Robert Montenegro

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What if every commercial you saw on television, instead of attempting to sell you a product, framed its message more like “hey, here’s a product, just in case you’re interested.” That’s not a particularly compelling pitch, is it? Welcome to the world of sifting through résumé after résumé written by folks who have forgotten what a résumé is actually supposed to do: sell your expertise. It’s not a Facebook page in which you list the things you are and the things you like. It’s a billboard advertising your accomplishments and pitching your hireability.

Amy Gallo of the Harvard Business Review has a guide to help frame a compelling and effective document. Her advice doesn’t differ too much from the usual slew of articles offering résumé tips, though she does offer some specific examples of punchy objectives, optimized display of information, and a solid list of dos and don’ts. Check out her piece (linked below) and let us know what you think.

Read more at HBR

Photo credit: faithie / Shutterstock

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