Following 7 months of struggle, one executive made a change in his job search in August 2009, and was hired for a new position only 30 days later.
Here's the story ...
Scott Bornstein, from suburban Minneapolis, Minn., had what he thought was a well written resume. But "every time I sent it out, people would suggest changes to make. When I handed it out at a job fair, they'd say, ‘Thank you' and file it away immediately." He wasn't getting called by employers.
Sound familiar?
Bornstein found a way to improve his resume, which boosted his self-confidence, which, in turn, led to more interviews, in a virtuous circle that got him hired in 30 days.
What did he do?
"I went to using a Guerrilla Resume. It was easy to write and it gave me confidence, with a resume that I felt positive to hand out to anybody," says Bornstein.
The Guerrilla Resume, a new style of resume, is normally one page long and has two essential components:
1. logos from past employers, colleges, or organizations;
2. quotes from people familiar with your work, such as managers or clients.
Let's look at them in detail ...
1. Logos
Fact: The brain would rather look at pictures than read. (What's worth a thousand words?)
That's why 2-3 logos can improve your resume. They catch the reader's eye, allowing you to make an emotional connection with the employer and piggyback on any positive feelings associated with those logos.
All before they've read one word of your resume. Can you get in trouble for using logos? Not in my experience since 1996.
Reason: You're not using these graphics to sell anything. Of course, I'm not a lawyer and this is not legal advice. If in doubt, ask permission before using a logo or other graphic.
2. Quotes from past managers or clients.
Bornstein used 3 quotes in his Guerrilla Resume. Quotes get attention because they are third-party endorsements of you, like testimonials in a TV infomercial.
Where to get them? From recommendations on your Linkedin profile! They're already in the public domain -— why not use those quotes in your resume?
Here's what happened after Bornstein revamped his resume. "The next day I went to a job fair in Minneapolis. I walked up to a recruiter and handed my resume to her. She actually grabbed my hand, leaned in, and said, ‘This is an amazing resume.' I knew at that moment that I had something," says Bornstein.
What he had was confidence, which improved every part of his job search.
Think about how easy it is to do something when you *know* you can, versus when you're unsure. It's the difference that can make all the difference.
"With the new resume, I had complete confidence in what I was doing. As soon as I started handing it to other people -– hiring managers, recruiters, whoever -– nobody wanted to change it. I felt they all wanted to give me a chance, and that was different," says Bornstein.
The job Bornstein eventually took came from a contact he made at the Wooddale Transition Group. (If you're not a member of a high-quality job club, consider joining one. In addition to producing employment leads, it gets you out of the house to meet and help other people.)
"An email went to the group members on a Wednesday and I applied, along with 32 other people. The new resume immediately popped up for the hiring manager," says Bornstein, who was called on Friday and interviewed on Monday. A second interview followed on Thursday and he was offered a job the next day -- 9 days after applying.
An eye-grabbing resume can provide the same kind of ego boost you might enjoy after getting a new suit or tie. If clothes make the man, can a Guerrilla Resume make the job search? Apparently, yes.
Now. You've just been given the key to creating a Guerrilla Resume: include logos and quotes. You can do it yourself, today.
If you'd like help, however, you can click here
