You hear it all the time, "Your resume is a marketing tool." So why is it that no one ever asks a professional copywriter for advise when writing the most important ad of all time... the one that could land you an interview? I'll tell you from experience, as a copywriter I've landed many an interview based on the successful resumes I've written. Now I'd like to show you the tricks of the advertising trade that make all the difference when promoting yourself.
When writing copy, the first and most important rule is to know your target audience. In order to meet a buyer's need for a product or service you must understand what they consider to be important. Before beginning to write, copywriters always create a list of the problems the product/service solves. Next we list what positive end results the customer will get from using the product/service.
Secondly, we develop a list of selling points. From the customer's point-of-view, we answer the questions, "What's in it for me," "So what," and "Why should I buy from you?"
Third, and finally, we turn all the features of the product/service into benefits. So how does any of this apply to a resume? You are the product! You are selling yourself. Let's apply these tips to the objective and employment history sections of the resume. I'll use myself as an example.
What does my target audience consider to be important? Copy that sells! They want great copy that they can be proud to use, and that brings in customers.
What problem do I solve? No more wasted advertising money. By using my copywriting services, my customers are assured results.
What positive end result will they receive? More customers.
The Objective
Let's begin using this information by looking at the objective section of your resume. This section is the most targeted area of your resume. So many people make the mistake of writing something to the effect of, "My objective is to obtain a position as a copywriter with a leading advertising agency." That says absolutely nothing to your potential employer. In this short paragraph, you must convey what you can do for the company. Using the information from our answered questions, I would write my objective this way:
Objective: To provide targeted, sales-oriented copywriting that brings customers exceptional response and decreases their advertising waste.
Not only does this let the manager know I can benefit him/her, but also his customers. Focusing on what results you can provide to both the company and their clients is an excellent way to get the attention of anyone looking to hire.
Employment History
What you usually find in the next section of a resume is the employment history. But what do you find happens in the actual interview? The manager is asking questions about what you did, not what your title was. Remember, we're targeting our audience. Let's give 'em what they want.
Instead of listing your title and responsibilities under each employer, insert a list of past successes. This is where you turn features into benefits. Let's look at an example or two.
