How to Spice Up Your Resume for a Holiday Job Search

December 2 2015 - Scores of people try to land a holiday job, so it's a good idea to do everything you can to make yourself stand out from the competition. Dressing nicely to pick up the application, being early for your interview, and showing confidence in your abilities will boost your chances of getting hired.

Unfortunately, if you don't have a stellar resume, you may get lost in the shuffle before you have a chance to impress the manager face to face. Spicing up your resume for a holiday job search is one of the best moves you can make when trying to land a holiday job. Not sure how to do it? Check out these three tips.

Tailor the Resume to the Holiday Job, To Make Up for Any Lack of Experience

More often than not, people who seek holiday jobs do not have experience in the exact line of work they apply for during the holiday season. Don't be afraid to apply for the jobs you want, even if you don't have the experience you think you need. To land the job you want, include a face to face career summary that is tailored to show how your skills and work experience will benefit you in the holiday position. Then, you can stress your willingness to learn and/or undergo training when you have your interview.

Rely on References

Your job is to sell yourself when you write your resume. But, employers know that you are listing your most glowing attributes without really having a way to determine whether or not what you're saying is true. That's why it's a good idea to rely on references. Louise Fletcher, president of Blue Sky Resumes and founder of Career Hub, recommends that job seekers pull the best quotes from LinkedIn, performance reviews, customer letters, or other references and include them in the resume. She urges you to think of it like testimonials and customer reviews that you take into consideration when making a purchase; employers will do the same thing when they read your resume. Reviews from references are sure to make more of an impact when you're searching for a holiday job.

Change the Way You View Your Resume

It's typical for people to think of their resume as their autobiography or as a simple list of their education, experience, and skills. Both of these approaches to resumes are wrong; instead, Jobhuntercoach founder and CEO Arnie Fertig explains that you should be considering your resume as a "marketing document that demonstrates how your background meets the needs of your target employer."

One of the simpler things you can do to market yourself through your resume is to create a large headline that fits the holiday job, such as "customer service specialist" at the top of your resume, just below your name and contact information, and then follow the headline with a short branding statement. The branding statement should provide a snapshot of you at the present time, and serve as an introduction to the accomplishments and specific skills you have included later in the resume.

Of course, being truthful and factual on your resume for a holiday job search is of the utmost importance. You need to market yourself through your resume with integrity so that your employer knows that you have the qualifications you claim to have. Then, including references will solidify the claims you make about yourself, lending credence to your resume.

Likewise, including your tailored headline and branding statement, plus your tailored experiences and skills, will help the potential employer see the value you will add to his business, which will make you a more attractive holiday job candidate.

About the author

Erica Francis loves working with ReadyJob.org to teach young people how to get started in the job market. In her spare time, she enjoys horseback riding, crocheting, and acting at her town's community theater.

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