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Creating an interview-winning resume is effort-intensive. You need to combine impactful writing with effective conceptualization and best practices. However, an important prerequisite for writing a successful resume is recognizing its purpose, which enables you to focus on the most relevant information. A resume is a marketing document through which you promote yourself as a candidate to your target employer. It’s one building block in your construction of a strong personal brand. Read on to better understand the main purposes of a resume.
1. Introduce yourself to target employers
A resume introduces you to your target employer by highlighting your background, skills, and expertise. It registers your interest in working with the company through the application process and helps you create a memorable first impression. Communicating the most useful and appropriate information is paramount as employers spend only a few seconds glancing over each resume. Your value proposition should be apparent in the professional summary section to grab the attention of the employers and qualify you for the next stage.
2. Provide an eye-catching brief of your career
Another vital purpose your resume serves is providing a synopsis of your career to the employer. The professional experience section lists and succinctly describes your previous jobs, including part-time and full-time opportunities. This is where employers get a peek into your earlier roles, situations you handled, and the results you achieved by applying your hard and soft skills. Enumerating these points effectively allows employers to grasp the contribution they are capable of making.
This section is the true determinant of your suitability for the job. Employers are likely to decide whether to hire you based on your previous experiences’ relevance to the target job. Other sections, such as your education, volunteer work, and professional certifications, also give a snapshot of secondary experiences that may be relevant to the target position.
3. Demonstrate your competence in the target role
Your resume is the first point of contact with your prospective employer. An effectively written resume demonstrates your ability to perform proficiently in your target role. Your previous experience, expertise, and skills prove to the employer that you’re able to exceed their performance expectations and add value to the company and its brand.
For example, suppose your bullet point states that you “supervised team activities in coordination with cross-functional teams; organized the management of talent events for placement agencies; maximized team productivity and efficiency.” These items highlight your job responsibilities and the results you achieved, besides emphasizing your capacity for teamwork, initiative, and multicultural operations. They will help your target employer understand your capabilities and make a decision in your favor.
Your resume is a crucial document designed to turn the heads of decision-makers. Its purpose will only be served if it is written with a laser focus on the objectives it’s meant to fulfill and aimed toward the right audience. If you need more insight into how to write an exceptional resume, reach out to us.
