As a media professional, you’re no newbie to the art of the eye-catching resume. You don’t fall prey to rookie traps like boring fonts or bulky text blocks. In fact, you’re convinced your CV is a masterpiece worthy of the Met. There’s just one problem—you’re not booking interviews. How can you set yourself apart from the competition and help your resume fall into the right hands at the right time? Read on.
1. Be Strategic
Nowadays, with a wealth of new job titles cropping up in the media industry, you may be qualified for a variety of positions based on your experience. But rapid-firing your resume to every job that seems to fit may backfire. The key is to strategize first: Write down your objective, salary and geographical requirements, company size, and any other criteria that matter to you.
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2. Tap Your Network
Rather than cold-calling agencies you’ve never spoken to, reach out to friends, coworkers and former colleagues via LinkedIn, Facebook or email, and let them know you’re in the market for a new job. If you don’t have a wealth of professional contacts to choose from, hit up a conference with copies of your resume and employment objectives in hand.
3. Be Direct
Then when applying online through a job board, do a little research to find the department head and direct your resume to that person as well as to HR. Going straight to your future boss will help set you apart, which is especially helpful if the company is outside your professional network.
4. Stay Focussed
Targeting your resume to just a few key contacts may seem like it will reduce your odds of catching an employer’s eye, but the opposite may be true. Employers want to know that you are interested in joining their team, so if you have put a lot of effort into making sure your resume speaks to the position the company has advertised, they will give you a second look.
5. Get Some Help
Are there some years-old duties that could use some weeding, or is there a more dynamic way to state what you two jobs ago? If so, perhaps it’s your resume itself that’s the problem.
If you’d like your resume to stand out even more, consider getting the help of a pro. Mediabistro’s Career Services offer everything from a quick resume edit to several sessions of career counseling to tackle your CV, networking skills, career transition, and more.
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