The number one purpose of your resume is to get the interview. And making a seamless transition from resume to interview is a key part of landing the job.

What do I mean by resume to interview? If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m big on consistency. Consistency within your resume. Consistency in your message. And that consistency should carry over to your interview too.

You recruiter or hiring manager is going to be looking to see if what you said in your resume translates into real life. In other words, they want to know if the you presented in your resume is the you that shows up for the interview. 

Here are three must-know tips for creating a seamless transition between resume and interview — tips you’ll want to master in order to get the job.

Resume To Interview Tip #1: Write Your Resume With Your Own Voice

There are hundreds if not thousands of companies that want to write your resume for you. Don’t let them.

While outsourcing your resume may sound like a good idea (and free up your time to do other, less boring things), writing your own resume is the key to consistency between your resume and your interview.

Trust me on this one! You are the one who knows how you speak, how you write, and what your voice sounds like. Letting anyone else take over this job for you could backfire, because the language a resume writer uses might not be your own. It might sound impressive on paper, but if you show up to your interview and are uncomfortable with that language, you’ll be compromising your integrity.

Interview Tip #2: Know Your Resume Inside and Out

Sometimes when we get done writing a resume, we want to leave it and forget it. But the key to a seamless transition between resume and interview is to know your resume like the back of your hand.

Why is this important? Because each time you answer an interview question, you can refer back to something in your resume that probably intrigued the hiring manager in the first place.

By knowing your interview inside and out, you’ll also be prepared for any questions the interviewer throws at you. 

If you’re like me and can’t remember dates, spend a little time studying these too, so they roll of your tongue like you know them by heart. Chances are you won’t be asked about dates unless there are gaps in your resume, but being prepared to this level of detail will give you an air of confidence. 

And who wants to shuffle through papers if the interviewer does ask you to clarify something on your resume? Your best bet is to have that information on the tip of your tongue!

Resume to Interview Consistency Tip #3: Develop An Elevator Speech for Each Company

In the same way you want to customize your Summary for each company you apply to, you’ll also want to spend a little time crafting an individualized elevator speech before you head off to each interview. 

What’s an elevator pitch? Think about running into the president of your dream company on the elevator. You have 30-seconds to introduce yourself and leave a lasting impression.

Here are 5 tips for perfecting your elevator speech:

1. Review the job description again and highlight at least three keywords to incorporate.
2. Make it memorable. Everyone can say they are in sales, but if you can craft your message in a way that leaves a lasting impression, you just might get a call back from someone who wants to learn more.
3. Don’t just wing it. Write down your elevator speech, practice it until it’s second nature, and revise it if it doesn’t roll off your tongue naturally.
4. Be sure you mention that you’re in the market for a job. What good does it do to share what sets you apart, without letting a prospective employer know you’d love to bring those talents to her company?

You don’t want to sound like a robot — you want your personality to shine through. So get comfortable with the language in the job description, and then add your own personal flair.

Even if you never use the elevator speech in an elevator, you can be sure you’ll keep coming back to this summary in every interview!

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