Turn your resume into a pitch for a job interview
CHICAGO, IL -- Can you deliver a clear, articulate, and thorough overview of your skills and value to a prospective employer without rambling on for minutes about the details of your work history? Not many people can. If you're in the same boat and struggling with this, you're doing it wrong. And you're missing out on an opportunity to impress the interviewer.
Recently, Forbes explained how to turn your resume into an elevator pitch that you can deliver in just 30 seconds. The article hits the nail on the head: In essence, you want to create the equivalent of a set of bullet points on a PowerPoint slide that zero in on just the things in your resume that are of interest to an employer.
When you get face to face with an interviewer, think about answering questions about your background in the same terse way. Start by filling a whole page with what you want to say to a hiring manager. Cut that down to half a page. Keep cutting until you get to a quarter page. Then pull out three bullet points that give a snapshot of your career. Bottom line: When an interview says, "Tell me about yourself," it's an opportunity to distill your background down to the most valuable skills for the role. This is an opportunity to put your best foot forward and stand out from the crowd.
