eBay is the ultimate testing ground for sales copy. The size of the market, the competition, the number of sales, the rapid feedback all combine to allow copywriters to refine their skills. I wrote an earlier post on using copywriter skills in your resume. Ramit Sethi’s post on eBay sales techniques made me think about how eBay techniques could transfer to resumes.
The Picture
Everyone knows the picture is the first thing people look at in an eBay auction. Convention tells you not to add a picture to your resume. Why not? Adding a quality picture of you dominating in the field is like adding a quality photo of the item in an eBay auction.
BONUS TIP: If you are applying for an engineering position, include a picture of yourself working on equipment. Including a picture of yourself working on equipment proves that you have hands on experience and are more than just a “book” engineer.
Checking out the Competition
eBay allows sellers to do market research. Sellers can search the history for auctions for similar items. Job hunters can use online tools to check out the competition.
- LinkedIn. You can search the public profiles of people with that currently hold your desired job or work at your target company. What skills are they highlighting? What groups do they belong to?
- Craigslist. Craiglist allows users to see the resumes posted by other job hunters. Craiglist is useful because it allows you to search locally. What can you offer that other job hunters can’t. How can you stand out against this group?
Detailed Description
eBay’s seller tips is a resource for resume writers. eBay compiled tips for describing an item.
Examples
- eBay Tip: Include who you think it would appeal to and why
- Resume Application: Controls Engineer — Looking to improve process efficiency and automation, I have the skills you need.
- eBay Tip: Does item have a special background or history?
- Resume Application: Idea of must-see sights in Dubai — Tour of geothermal cooling systems for skyscrapers growing in desert.
