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The Purpose of a Resume is to Get an Interview Not a Job

the purpose of a resume is to get an interview not a job

Remember to think of your resume as a marketing tool. Your job is to market yourself to potential employers through your resume. The purpose of a resume is to get an interview, not a job.

To effectively accomplish this, think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resume as a brochure about you.

Think about your unique selling features:

What are your features and benefits?

What makes you unique?

Why should the school district hire you over the other teaching candidates?

Once you know these answers, be sure to convey this information in your resume effectively.

What to Include on Your Resume

First of all, don’t get ahead of yourself. Your resume generates buzz and interest around you so that you have the chance to stun in an interview. Some job seekers will tell you that getting to the interview is over half of the battle. The fact that you’re there means you’re at least minimally qualified and are being considered. This means the hard part is getting there. Make sure to highlight information that gets you into the interview.

So, you don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment you’ve ever had. Your goal should be to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an interview. Therefore, list your best accomplishments that are most relevant to the teaching area you are seeking.

Use the job interview to provide a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to land the job offer.

Show the Reader Your ROI (Return on Investment)

When you are writing your resume, you are using it to market yourself to a prospective employer; for this reason, you need to show the return on investment. What will the hiring manager get by hiring you for a teaching position?

When creating your resume, ask yourself questions similar to the following:

Did you help increase student achievement, and if so, how?

Have you developed new curricula or new programs, and if so, what were the results?

Did you turn around an educational program?

Did you troubleshoot a major problem?

Have you increased student test scores?

These questions will definitely depend on the position that you are seeking, but this should give you an idea of accomplishments to put in your resume. Think of it this way, what was the challenge, what were your actions and what was the result?

After you answer those questions, you will have a solid accomplishment – and that is what sells.

The following things are what your resume needs to include:

  • Clear Target
  • Qualifications
  • Core Competencies
  • Key Achievements
  • Relevant Experience
  • Related Education or Professional Development
  • Association Memberships

The reason employers require all job applicants to submit a resume is so that they have a method of separating applicants who are qualified for the position from the ones who lack the necessary qualifications. The challenge for job seekers is to compose a top-quality resume that will interview a prospective employer. After all, the sole purpose of a resume is to get the reader to pick up the phone.