6 reasons why standard resume templates don't work!

As a  job search career consultant in my business 'Careers Reborn’, I get asked by a lot of new migrants and job seekers about standard downloadable resume templates. In fact most of them attribute a lot of importance to their resume and majority of them think the problem is in their resumes. They are not getting any interviews calls or jobs because of their resume.

Well my friends to some extent this is so because you have used and done what your friends and relatives told you to do without consulting professionals. You have tried, used or downloaded some sort of universal resume template and given it general modifications to suit your profile.  Problem is it doesn’t work or rarely works is the correct way to put it!

Firstly, a standard resume template is going to be just that, standard. There are tens of other candidates, if not hundred's others whose resume also reads, looks, feels and appears like yours, very same! You are undermining your own unique experience and skills by using a standardised template. You need to stand out in the crowd, not be among the herd!

Secondly, some of these templates are outdated and written like years ago, but as long as you are buying them they will keep selling them. They are not addressing any issues or problems you want to overcome. They just look good.

Thirdly, another reason is relevance. For example European format 2 page resume, which works really well in Europe, is not really that well regarded in the ANZ job market. It’s sometimes considered too short and lacking in details.

Fourth, some resumes are industry specific and sooner or later you realise, albeit, too late, that you really don’t need to mention your software development skills in so much detail, as you are really an accountant.

Fifth, most standard resumes do not address particular job criteria like a government roles or advanced selection criteria even for private sector jobs. Nowadays most of the selection process revolves around the interviewing part and you don’t get selected because your resume says X but in reality your performance is Y and your opinion in the test on it is Z!

Sixth reason is main reason that these resume promises the moon and deliver peanuts. If they are available freely or at negligible cost that means in reality they are supposed to help you only get an idea, a gist of what you need to include, not download follow and copy them down to the nth detail.

My suggestion would be please invest time, skills and energy in writing your resume properly. Better still, seek professional assistance and make it work. You have only one resume. This is like your marketing document. It needs to be a very good document to represent you, the very best.