Resultados y análisis

A good resume should be prepared as carefully as a lawyer would prepare the brief for a case to be tried in court. Unless the applicant is experienced in the preparation of such briefs, an expert should be consulted for this purpose. When successful businesses want to advertise, they hire specialists who understand the psychology of advertising to sell their products. If you are “selling” your personal services, you should do the same.

COMMENTARY

The job market in America has never been as bad as it was when Napoleon Hill wrote the preceding paragraph. Because of the Great Depression, many adults had never had any kind of steady job let alone sought a career position, and there were few places to learn how to do it. Since that time many excellent books have been published on the subject, and companies that offer professional help in preparing resumes have become very common. However, neither books nor copywriters are magic. It all begins with what you have to offer.

The editors of this edition suggest that you start to assemble your presentation using the guidelines that appear below. Once you have a first draft, you should then review at least one of the books on the subject to see what suggestions are offered that might help you sell yourself better than you have already done. Then, depending how satisfied you are, you might also want to seek advice from a professional who specializes in such presentations.

We offer two notes of caution: First, make sure that your presentation does not look like something turned out by a resume mill. Having received many resumes over the years, the editors warn you that some professionals use the same stock phrases, buzzwords, and formats for every client, and this can be a dead giveaway that someone else prepared your resume, or that you have simply copied from a book.

Your intention should be to make yours stand out.

The second word of caution is don’t go overboard in trying to stand out. There is a balance between catching an employer’s attention and looking like you are trying too hard.

For instance, if you are a New York marketing executive applying to a Los Angeles company, sending your application with a bag of fresh bagels by next-morning FedEx would probably make a good impression, whereas sending a dartboard with your picture in the center might be viewed as just a little too cute and a little too much.

Clever is good, but professional is a must. Never be so clever that you don’t look professional.

Following are a set of guidelines for preparing your resume. Because part of your search for a position will involve responding to ads for job openings, and because it has become common to respond by faxing applications and resumes, Napoleon Hill’s guidelines should be used to prepare two separate presentations: As Hill suggests below, you should prepare an elaborate presentation to be used when mailed or presented in person. But you should also prepare a second, shorter version that is designed specifically to be faxed. Take care to make your fax version complete and interesting, but it should be no more than three pages.

The following information should appear in your presentation:

1. Education. State briefly, but definitely, what schooling you have had and in what subjects you specialized in school, giving the reasons for that specialization.

[Never exaggerate. This is very serious advice and it applies not only to education but also the next two categories, experience and references. Smart employers will check in all three areas.

Labor laws have become so demanding that employers filling responsible positions are very cautious about whom they hire in the first place. There are rules

about such things as the difference between salaried and hourly employment, sexual harassment, what constitutes grounds for dismissal, what questions can and cannot be asked in job interviews, and a host of other things that leave the employer open to potential lawsuits. Consequently, smart employers, the kind you want to work for, will check your education, experience, and references.

Also, bear in mind, you are providing information that will follow you for the rest of your career. If you keep up with the news, you know that in recent times even executives headed for the top have been dismissed, military men have resigned in disgrace, politicians have been removed from office, and professors have been forced to resign, all because someone looked into their background and found that they had exaggerated their qualifications.]

2. Experience. If you have had experience in connection with positions similar to the one you seek, describe it fully. Give the names and addresses of former employers. Be sure to clearly point out any special experience you may have had that would equip you to fill the position you seek.

3. References. Practically every business firm wants to know as much as possible about the background of prospective employees who seek positions of responsibility.

Attach copies of letters from former employers, from teachers under whom you studied, and from prominent people whose judgment may be relied upon.

4. Photograph of yourself. Include a recent, professional photograph of yourself as a part of your presentation.

[In the contemporary job market, this is not a common practice at all. However, from personal experience, the editors of this edition know it can be advantageous. We have received only one such job application, but unquestionably it was the photograph that prompted us to ask the applicant to come in for an interview.

If you are confident that your appearance makes a good, professional impression, you may want to consider this unusual approach. There is the danger that you may be seen as vain or self-centered, but it could also be the thing that gives you an edge.]

5. Apply for a specific position. Never apply for “just a job.” That indicates you lack specialized qualifications.

6. State your qualifications for the particular position for which you apply. Give full details why you believe you are qualified for the particular position you seek. This is the most important detail of your application. It will determine, more than anything else, what consideration you receive.

7. Offer to go to work on probation. This may appear to be a radical suggestion, but experience has proved that it seldom fails to win at least a trial. If you are sure of your qualifications, a trial is all you need. Incidentally, such an offer indicates that you have confidence in your ability to fill the position you seek. It is most convincing. Make it clear that your offer is based on your confidence in your ability to fill the position, your confidence in your prospective employer’s decision to employ you after the trial period, and your determination to have the position.

[As you will learn in chapter 10 when you read the story of Napoleon Hill’s application to Rufus Ayers, Hill gives this advice based on his personal experience.

Unfortunately, this is an instance where times may have changed so much that the approach is rarely applicable. In today’s environment, modern labor laws and business practice may prevent an employer from taking you up on your offer, but

many companies do have internship programs that allow an employer to “test-drive”

employees to see how they might fit in.]

8. Knowledge of your prospective employer’s business. Before applying for a position, do sufficient research to familiarize yourself thoroughly with that business, and indicate the knowledge you have acquired in this field. This will be impressive because it indicates that you have imagination, and a real interest in the position you seek.

[When you do this, and you certainly should, bear in mind that you will be talking with people who really know the business. Even by researching extensively, at best you will only know about their business. If you try to appear too knowledgeable or familiar, it may backfire and reveal that you have only a superficial view of the business. Unless you are already working in the particular industry and have insights based on experience, do not be presumptuous. Use your knowledge to indicate that you have taken the time to educate yourself, and that you really are interested, but don’t try to tell a prospective employer how you would run the business.]

Remember that it is not the lawyer who knows the most law, but the one who best prepares his case, who wins. If your “case” is properly prepared and presented, your victory will have been more than half won at the outset.

Do not be afraid of making your presentation too long. Employers are just as much interested in purchasing the services of well-qualified applicants as you are in securing employment. In fact, the success of most successful employers is due to their ability to select well-qualified lieutenants. They want all the information available.

[As noted above, when faxing a resume it should be no more than three pages, and should state that you will be pleased to provide a more detailed resume if requested.]

Remember another thing: neatness in the preparation of your resume and application will indicate that you are a painstaking person. Successful salespeople groom themselves with care. They understand that first impressions are lasting. Your presentation is your sales rep. Give it a good suit of clothes so it will stand out in bold contrast to anything else your prospective employer ever saw. If the position you seek is worth having, it is worth going after with care. More important, if you sell yourself in a manner that shows off your individuality, you probably will receive more money from the very start than you would if you applied for employment in the usual, conventional way.

When your resume package has been completed, you should prepare individual and personalized copies for each company or person to whom it will be presented. This personal touch is sure to command attention. Have it neatly typed, proofread, printed, and properly bound on the finest paper you can obtain. Your photograph should be mounted and included on one of the pages. Prepare a separate binding with the proper company name inserted, if it is to be shown to more than one company.

If you seek employment through an employment agency, have the agent use copies of your presentation in marketing your services. This will help to gain preference for you, both with the agent and the prospective employers.

I have helped to prepare presentations for clients that were so striking and out of the ordinary that they resulted in the employment of the applicant without a personal interview. If you want similar results, follow the instructions to the letter, improving upon them however your imagination suggests.

COMMENTARY

Today, every office supply store offers a wide variety of paper stock, folders, binders, and presentation materials that can be put together in a way that is both unique and professional-looking. With all of those possibilities available, if you simply present standard sheets of papers stapled in the corner, the response will very likely be standard too.

If you apply a little creativity you should have no trouble preparing a presentation that is tailored to the company to which you are applying, appropriate for the position you seek, and reflective of your personality and style.