To get your attention, copywriters focus on the single strongest benefit the product offers-first. Next time you flip through a magazine or turn on the radio, pay close attention to the ads. You’ll begin to see a pattern. More often than not, you’ll see the strongest benefit up front. Here are some examples:

Type of Ad -> Where First Impression Is Made or Strongest Benefit Is Presented

• Magazine or newspaper ad -> Headline and picture
• Brochure -> Cover
• Direct mail ->  Copy on outside of envelope or first couple of sentences in the letter
• Radio or television ad -> First few seconds of commercial
• Web site -> First screen

The principles used in magazine or newspaper ads also hold true for your self-marketing documents:

Type of Ad -> Where First Impression Is Made or Strongest Benefit Is Presented

• Résumé -> Headline and visual appeal/overall look and feel of résumé
• Cover letter -> First couple of sentences in the letter or bulleted items that highlight accomplishments

Advertising combines visuals and headlines to get attention. Résumés use good copy and eye appeal to get attention. By the way, the word copy, short for copywriting, is the term ad agencies use for the headlines, paragraphs, sentences, and slogans that accompany the visuals (pictures). I’ll be using the term copy to refer to your résumé content-the headlines, descriptions, tag lines, and other features that will wow and woo your boss-to-be. For the résumé, a good first impression requires persuasive copy and good visual appeal. Let’s look at copy first.

Headlines and Hard-Hitting Leads

David Ogilvy, the messiah of Madison Avenue and author of Confessions of an Advertising Man, says that headlines are “the most important element in most advertisements…five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.” Here are a few headlines that got my attention:

You’re born, you go to school, then one day things begin to get interesting.

(Photo in ad: young sailor aboard a gleaming ship, overlooking a beautiful Mediterranean port city. Ad recruiting for U.S. Navy.)

Oh, baby, where have you been all my life?

(Caption below photo is “half the fat, really cheesy.” Photo in ad: happy couple eating Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner.)

Doctors are too busy to wait minutes for the correct temperature. Guess what, mothers are busier.

(Photo in ad: close-up of a mother holding a sick baby. The ad is for an ear thermometer that takes baby’s temperature in one second.)

A good lead will do two things:

• Get your attention.
• Draw you into reading the whole ad.

You’re probably shaking your head, wondering if I’m going to ask you to write a catchy headline for your résumé or cover letter-maybe even put it to music! Something along the lines of the following:

You can double your sales in the next six months. Your competition has.

(Salesperson touting past sales performance.)

“Boutique” customer service wins over “wholesale” pricing…hands-down!

(Retail customer-service manager emphasizing service to support premium pricing.)

You’re too busy to worry about the “everyday details.” Let me help.

(Secretary targeting an executive support position.)

The preceding examples are intentionally bold, but they get attention because they offer a benefit to the target audience. The first example offers increased sales; the second, loyal customers (who will generate repeat and referral business); and the third, a saving of time for the boss.

If you’d like a subtler introduction, here are a few conservative headlines:

Profit-Driven Manager with Strong Customer Focus

Law Enforcement Professional with Vision…Courage…Leadership

Experienced Educator—Devoted 20+ Years to the Study of Sociology and Its Cultural, Economic, Political, and Spiritual Impacts on Our Local and Global Community

What headline would appeal to your boss-to-be? Some careful study of advertising strategy and human behavior can get your creative juices flowing. Do the following:

• Focus on your key selling points.
• Communicate those selling points to your audience.

You can use your “headlines” as a theme throughout your job search. Make them a common thread in your networking, cover letters, résumés, and interviewing.

Where You Can Use Your Headlines?

Networking: “I’m Sheridan McKenzie and I write for a living. I specialize in success stories.” (Use of intrigue in response to the age-old inquiry, “So what do you do for a living?”)

Cover letter: Creating attention-getting, hard-selling television ads has generated millions for my clients. (Example of a hard-hitting introductory sentence.)

Résumé: CLIO award–winning writer featured in Advertising Age and AdWeek. (Qualifications summary.)

Interview: “As a top-notch agency writer, I have delivered copy and concepts that exceeded clients’ marketing objectives. I can do the same for you.” (In response to the interview statement, “Tell me, in 25 words or less, why I should hire you.”)

A real benefit to preparing your résumé is that none of your prep work will go to waste. Every minute you put into it can be used throughout the networking, job search, and interview process. More important, the process will add to your sense of accomplishment and, best of all, your confidence! You’ll need every ounce you can muster as you launch your job search.

Visual Appeal

Most of us think of visuals as pictures. For the purposes of designing your résumé, I’ll use the word visual to refer to overall eye appeal. It takes just three to four seconds to decide whether the “look” of a résumé has eyeappeal. The key to eye appeal is using classic design elements—with consistency! Inconsistency in design (also referred to as formatting) makes for an ugly-duckling résumé, and ugly-duckling résumés are often passed over for those with swan status.

Consistency Worked for Javier

Can you find 10 or more design inconsistencies in the following example? Some are more obvious than others.

Consistent formatting for Javier’s résumé not only improved its eye-appeal, but also sped up his transition from the military to the private sector.

In some résumés, you can also draw in your reader by using an image they can relate to, such as a small graphic that represents your industry or profession.

Using a Graphic Worked for Jennifer

Jennifer, a recent graduate, used the graphic of a mortar and pestle for her pharmaceutical sales search. The graphic gives the impression of industry identification despite the fact that Jennifer had no experience in pharmaceutical sales. The goal statement was developed from researching Web pages of pharmaceutical companies.

Visual appeal is a huge factor in successful résumé design. Consistent formatting and use of a tasteful graphic can help accomplish the first step in the employer’s “buying” process: Get your reader’s attention!