Resumes Revealed

Job Search Tips for the New Year from Sue Sarkesian, Co-founder of The Resume Group

2011-01-03T09:12:00.000-06:00

The holidays are over and we're all back to the realities of our day-to-day. For many, New Year's resolutions include gearing up a new job search, looking to move within the same company, or taking steps to change careers. Here's some realities and tips from Sue Sarkesian, Co-founder of The Resume Group:

Always be prepared. Today’s reality is there are no longer such things as permanent jobs. Competition, mergers, acquisitions, closures, offshoring, etc. have shown us that even the most tenured employee doesn’t have long-term job certainty. All of these factors affect employees regardless of seniority, management/staff level, function or industry.

Even if the company one is working for is solid, generating revenue, growing and productive, it could still mean employees are at risk. Others companies see the success and develop entry in to the same space. This competition challenges market share and creates a crowded sector. The company is then forced to make changes to stay ahead of the game. This can have an impact on every department.

I don’t write this article to present a negative picture. Rather as a wake- up call to say that even when an employee is happily and gainfully employed, they still need to be prepared. Waiting until the picture looks bleak or waiting until a layoff is imminent puts the employee behind in their search by 3-4 months.

Many people believe if they have a resume, a connection with a couple of recruiters, and are casually networking as they always have, then they are prepared. This is false and puts them at risk for a 7-12 month search process.

What are the reasons for this?

1.) Inadequate networks. What used to work in networking is not true in the new marketplace. Reality is that today most folks are also looking out for themselves. So connecting with them is fine, but they may have their own personal agendas. The other truth is that many folks are networking with individuals in similar situations and/or they are not the persons making hiring decisions.

2.) Poor resume. There is nothing that makes the individual stand out in the crowd.

3.) No search plan or a poor search plan.

So what are the things that constitute a great search strategy and staying ahead of the game? Always be involved in a passive search and follow these steps. Unemployed? Be much more aggressive.

1.) Have a stand out resume. Update it annually whether you think you need it or not.

2.) Create a target list of companies. Don’t just focus on the obvious big players. There are many opportunities available in small and medium companies as well. Don’t let ego tell you a Fortune 500 company is where you need to be.

3.) Create a target list of contacts. Managers, employees and executives.

4.) Expand your LinkedIn network. Add 25-50 per month. Use the LinkedIn company search function to connect with the decision makers in your target company list.

5.) Attend networking events, conferences and trade shows - 2 per quarter at a minimum.

6.) Stay in touch with contacts at least 4 times a year.

7.) Stay connected to retained search firms. If unemployed, reach out weekly via email and phone.

These are all things that should be done regardless of employment status. The bottom line is, do not wait until you have concerns to have a plan in place. Always be a step ahead of the game. If you become unemployed it could a very costly mistake.

Many of the 2011 projections are looking much more positive than the last 18-24 months. There will be industries and geographical areas better than others. Make 2011 a year to commit to your career and career planning. Things don’t often happen randomly. Granted, some folks get lucky in their searches. Maybe that job you took was just a job and not the best opportunity that was out there.

But imagine the possibilities if you have a strategy and a comprehensive approach to your job search. Best wishes for the New Year!

Waiting To Inhale...Your Resume!

2010-11-02T11:05:00.000-05:00

That's what an Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) does. It "inhales" your resume, sorts your personal and professional information, and looks for specific keywords that match job descriptions. In this very tough job market, hiring managers and recruiters are inundated with hundreds of resumes for every opening, and they just don't have the resources to read each one and select the most qualified candidates. So, the ATS does it for them. The problem is, the ATS is NOT looking for ways to include you – it's looking for ways to filter you out of the candidate pool. So how do you conquer the ATS challenge to get your resume actually seen – and read?

The obvious answer is to stuff your resume chock-full of as many keywords and as much industry jargon as you possibly can, right? Maybe even stick a giant keyword paragraph on at the end. Good ideas, right? Wrong. Most ATS's will reject resumes that don't have enough keywords, but some ALSO discard resumes that have too may keywords. It's important to have the right balance of the right keywords in your resume.

So what's the answer? First, read job descriptions. Read some more, and then read a few more. Read as many job descriptions as you can for the type of position you want, pick out the right keywords - the ones that match your background, experience and expertise, and write your resume so that your qualifications and experience meet the requirements of the job description. Of course, it also has to be true and accurate. Many ATS's now automatically check details like degrees and even employment dates, so don't lie. Give yourself the best chance of getting your resume seen by making sure your is keyword rich, with the right balance of keywords to make the ATS cut!

IS YOUR RESUME COMPETITIVE? THEN YOU LOSE!

2010-01-10T20:38:00.002-06:00

With record numbers of jobseekers actively seeking new employment, you have to work harder – and smarter - than ever before to get your resume seen, and to get in the door for an interview. Having a resume that makes you a competitive player in today's job market is no longer enough to ensure a response to your resume.

Employers in this market have just one question: Why should I hire YOU? In this economy, employers have unprecedented numbers of candidates to choose from for every single job opening. If your resume is just competitive, you don't make the cut. It takes more than a competitor to win in this market – employers have to see you as a superstar.

So how do you take your resume to the next level? How do you convince a potential employer you are the "must-have" candidate? Here are some tips to get you started:

1) Know what's happening in NOW your industry. Conduct some research through professional associations, colleagues, competitors, and news bureaus to make sure you're up to speed on hot topics in your field. Make sure you know what the latest terminology is, and use those keywords in your resume.

2) Recognize what the future holds. Look for emerging technologies, untapped markets, the latest product advancements, and new product developments. Show a potential employer you know what's coming down the road – immediately and long-term - and that you know how to uncover and capitalize on those opportunities.

3) Distinguish yourself. What do you do better than anyone else in your field? What are the strengths, expertise, and competencies that make you distinctive? What would former bosses, customers, and team members tell a potential employer about your work?

4) Quantify your achievements. Think about each job you've held, and ask yourself how your employer benefited because you were there. What did you do – specifically – to increase revenue, reduce costs, improve service, streamline processes, gain market share, develop new products, etc. How much did you generate in revenue? How much time and money did your idea for a process improvement save? Did you help turn around an unhappy customer? How much did that client mean to the company in annual sales? Make your story compelling and powerful with precise details and numbers.

5) Position yourself for your NEXT Role. Don't dwell on where you've been. Position your resume for the role you want next. If you're a Sales Rep who wants to be a Sales Manager, try to bring out instances where you've had opportunities to train new hires, lead projects or teams, or present your successes at local or national meetings. Try to find examples of leadership roles, and bring out that experience in your resume. Let a potential employer know you want to excel, advance, and grow in your career.

Today's job market makes it more critical than ever to have a commanding resume – a resume that gives you a greater competitive edge and more than a fighting chance. If you need help putting together a "knock-'em-dead" document, hire a professional resume writer to help you project the right professional image.

Give Thanks - After the Interview

2009-11-24T10:01:00.001-06:00

It's that time again. This week we'll gather with family and friends and give heartfelt thanks for the blessings and people in our lives. Expressing gratitude is important in all facets of our daily lives. But in some situations, knowing how and when to say "thank you" can be tricky. One of those instances is the "after-the-interview-thank-you-note-challenge".

Sending a thank-you note following the job interview is one of those things you know you should do, but many people find this seemingly simple task to be an extremely difficult task. Do you send a handwritten thank-you note or is it OK to send an email? If you were interviewed by a selection committee, do you send a separate, differently worded note to each of the interviewers? When do you send the note - immediately after the interview, or within one or two days? Can it wait a week? And when is it too late to send the thank-you?

Of course it's professional and good etiquette to send a thank-you note. But just as importantly, the after-interview "thank-you" is a great opportunity to reinforce your fit for the job. It's a chance to sell yourself one more time as the ideal candidate and to expand on how your qualifications match the requirements of the job. It's a way for you to make one more great impression, and emphasize the benefit you can bring to the company. It's a great chance to distinguish yourself from your competitors. Don't miss the opportunity to get your name in front of the right people one more time – it gives them another reason to remember you.

So where do you start? Always send the thank you within 24 hours of the interview. The discussion will be fresh in your mind, your notes from the interview will make more sense and you'll be able to zero in on specifics from the interview more easily. Any longer than 24 hours will make the hiring manager think it was an afterthought, and they may not remember you at all.

There's disagreement among career experts on whether the thank-you note should be snail-mailed or emailed. It really depends on the company and on how quickly they intend to make a hiring decision. Emailed thank-you notes are probably fine in most cases, especially if it's a company where email communication is the norm. If the culture of the company seems more traditional, you may also want to follow up with a hard-copy version of your thank-you note. If your handwriting is legible and neat, go ahead and hand-write the note. If not, type it up, print it out and put it in the mail.

How should the thank-you note be structured? Make it short. This is not the time to go into an epic discussion of your qualifications. Thank the interviewer for his or her time, and mention one thing you like about the company as a whole. It might be that the culture, management style, executive leadership team, or long-term corporate growth objectives are a good match for you. Pull out something specific from the interview that is a differentiator for you. Maybe there was discussion of a problem you can help solve, or experience in your background that aligns with an important company initiative. Restate your enthusiasm for the position and your interest in the job. Be enthusiastic about the opportunity. Close by asking for the job. Don't beat around the bush. It's perfectly acceptable to say that you'd love the chance to work for the company.

By making the effort to show your interest in the job, highlighting the contributions you're prepared to make and the value you're willing to bring to a company, hopefully next Thanksgiving you'll have even for which to give thanks.

Take Your Resume From Drab to Fab - Critical Steps to Make Your Resume Resonate

2009-06-03T23:46:00.000-05:00

Your resume is probably pretty good. You've doubtless done a fair job of outlining your skills, your experience, and your contributions. You've labored over getting all the right key words in there; you've proofread your resume over and over again to make certain there are no typos, no grammatical errors, and no red flags that would cause a potential employer to eliminate you from the running. You've toiled long and hard to carefully craft your resume for one purpose and one purpose only - to get the job you want, right? Wrong. A pretty good resume is going to get you nowhere, especially in this job market. Your resume has to blow them away.

Your resume is a marketing piece. You're writing ad copy. You're making the most important sales pitch of your life, and you have to sell the product (you) better than anyone else. You have to be the product everyone wants to buy and you have to create excitement around your personal brand. I'm sure you've heard this all before. The question is, how do you present your story in an authentic, credible way and at the same time convince a potential employer to "buy" your product? How do you differentiate yourself in the market and make your resume the one that gets to the top of the stack? How do you influence the hiring manager's buying decision?

Here are a few things to think about for your sales pitch:

1) Its Not All About You. Zero in on what the potential employer wants to buy, and position yourself to be the product that employer must have. Read a few dozen job descriptions for your dream job. Target the qualifications, key phrases, and requirements, yes - but go further. Focus on the "sizzle" the employer may have put in the job description. Look for the kinds of personality traits and individual qualities they may be looking for in the person they want to fill that role within their organization.

2) Differentiate Yourself. Think about the professional competencies and skills you bring to the table, of course. But what exceptional talents, knowledge, and aptitudes make you stand out from your peers? What have managers said about you in performance evaluations? What have former employers seen in you that made you remarkable to them? What personality traits do you possess that have helped you succeed throughout your career?

3) Back Up Your Claims. Potential employers want to know that you understand the tangible value you've brought to organizations - and they want to know what you can do for them. Why should they "buy" you? Can you make them money? Can you save them money? Can you improve processes? Increase market share? Boost productivity? Find new markets? Bring fresh ideas to product development? Prove it! Don't say you increased revenue - knock them out with how much you improved sales. Don't say you reduced costs - wow them with the numbers.

4) The X-Factor. Don't forget to add awards and professional affiliations, but also mention any civic or community activities. Potential employers like to know the product they're buying will go a little further and do a little more than expected. They want to know the person they're hiring understands the value of giving back.

Employers are on a quest for the best - in this economy, they can't afford to make hiring mistakes. The competition for every job is unbelievably fierce. Don't let a pretty good resume blow your chances. Close the deal with a resume that makes the sale.

Now is the Perfect Time to Polish Your Resume

2009-03-24T14:40:00.003-05:00

Believe it or not, we're beginning to see flickers of hope in the economy – tiny signs of life in hiring. We're beginning to see home sales pick up, and banks are slowly but surely starting to release their iron grip on those bail-out dollars.

And, there are ever-so-slight signs of movement in the job market. There are some indications that we're beginning to turn the corner and the economy is going to begin to improve. I'm not being a Pollyanna here – the job situation is still bad, and will probably continue to be difficult for many months to come, but some economists and labor experts are beginning to speak with cautious optimism about signs of economic recovery – not a rebound by any means, but at least some signs of life.

As the market begins to turn around, it’s important to make sure you're ready to meet new challenges in the job market head-on. If you've been hanging on to a job you hate because you're worried there may not be another one out there very easily, good for you – that's the smart thing to do. The good news is the coming months may be a great time to start testing the waters.

If you've been laid off, downsized, or let go because of the economy, and have not been able to find a job, the good news for you is that the pendulum may be starting to swing your way.

What do you need to do in order to make sure you're on the leading-edge as the job market improves? First and foremost – make sure your resume is top-notch. Make certain you've got a killer resume that is going to put you at the top of the heap.

If you don't feel 100% sure that you can create the kind of resume that gives you a distinct competitive edge, then hire a professional to help you. It's an investment you can't afford not to make in this job market. How much should it cost? Expect to pay 1% to 2% of your salary for a professionally done resume, cover letters, and assistance with putting together a job search strategy.

How do you know you're working with a reputable firm? Ask for references, and call them. Ask the references what response they've gotten with their resume, and what feedback they've received from recruiters and hiring managers. Ask to see some sample resumes. Check the writer's LinkedIn profile and recommendations there.

Most resume writing companies will provide the resume and one or two cover letters. Very few offer to help you find resources, put together a search strategy and get you connected with recruiters, any of those that do, many charge extra to do that – try to work with a company like The Resume Group that includes those services in the original price. When shopping for a professional resume-writing firm, make sure you compare apples with apples in terms of products and services.

Ask about the process. Are you going to fill out a questionnaire or answer emailed questions? Or is the writer going to spend time interviewing you on the phone? Are you going to get a resume that truly highlights your unique skill set, strengths and achievements, or does the company use phrase-generating technology, stock templates and one-size-fits-all cover letters?

The resume process should be about you, your skill set, your experience, your qualifications, and your accomplishments. It's about making you stand out – not fitting you into the fastest, easiest, most streamlined way to spit out resume after resume. Hiring managers can spot a cheap resume template a mile away. Don't squander the opportunities that are about to come your way as the economy improves. The Resume Group is here to help if you decide that now is the time to polish your resume, develop a job search strategy, and find the resources to help you succeed in your search for a new job.

How To Write a Bad Resume

2009-02-25T10:05:00.003-06:00

As a professional resume writer with more than 15 years of experience, I've seen thousands of resumes. Some are good, of course, but some are just downright horrific. We all know that a resume, no matter how great it is, isn't going to get you a job. Your resume only gives you a shot at getting an interview. A bad resume takes away the chance that you'll even get that far. So, I've decided to put together a list of just a few of the things that make for a really bad resume. By avoiding these pitfalls, you might improve your odds of getting in the door for an interview. Then it's up to you to seal the deal.

1) Focusing on responsibilities, not achievements. Your resume is a sales tool. It's your marketing piece. You're selling a product (you) to a buyer (employer). Get them to see the features and benefits you offer. Why should any prospective employer "buy" you as opposed to any of the other products (candidates) out there? By highlighting your achievements, in quantifiable ways, you give potential employers a reason to want to hire you.

Example: Resume #1 says, "Exceeded sales objectives"
Resume #2 says, "Delivered 137% of sales goal, outpacing 122 reps nationwide"

Which candidate do you want to interview?

2) Putting anything in your resume that you might have to back-peddle from in an interview. In other words, don't exaggerate, don't lie, and don't inflate your achievements.

Example: "Ranked in the Top 10 of all sales executives in the country". Great – now when the interviewer asks you how many sales executives there were, and you have to say "10", you look idiotic and there's zero chance you're getting that job.

3) Using acronyms like alphabet soup. Like everything else, there's a time and place for acronyms. Some have become a part of our business vernacular and it's OK to use them (i.e. HIPAA – Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act). But be careful about tossing around acronyms. Some can have several meanings, so it's probably a good idea to spell out your use of the acronym once in the resume (i.e. ABC – it can mean Activity-Based Costing, Always Be Closing, or Anything But Chardonnay – make sure a potential employer knows which one you mean).

4) Using different fonts. I have seen resumes with at least 10 different fonts, in 6 different sizes, and a wild array of bold, italics, small caps, colors, and even flashing special effects. Don't do it. Use one font, and make it one that most Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) will recognize – Times New Roman, Arial, and Georgia are all good, standard fonts. Use Bold and Italics sparingly – and some ATS have a hard time with Italics - so only use them if you think they're absolutely necessary.

5) Listing your reason for leaving each job. Just one word. Don't. No matter why you left, whether it was a layoff, downsizing, restructuring, firing, or voluntary, it's going to be perceived as a negative. Better to leave this discussion for the interview.

6) Using your current company email address or phone number as your contact information. No employer wants to think that you would use company resources for your job search, so don't use your current employer's phone number or email address on your resume. It will doom your chances of getting an interview. Make sure the outgoing message on your cell phone or home phone sounds professional, and open a professional-sounding gmail or hotmail account for your job search.

Today's job market is more challenging than ever before. If your resume isn't better than everyone else's out there, you don't stand a chance of landing the job you want. Make sure you're giving yourself every opportunity to sell yourself in an interview.

Four Myths About Resumes

2009-02-11T11:55:00.000-06:00

There are a lot of myths about resumes - here's four of the most common resume myths that should go away - now.

1) Everyone Should Write Their Own Resume. Of course you can write your own resume, but should you? No one knows your career, skills, accomplishments and experience better than you. But are you trained to know how to take that information and distill it into a succinct, well-articulated marketing tool? Will the resume you create differentiate you in the market and get you to the top of the must-interview list?

A professional resume writer can ask the right questions, bring out essential information, and create a powerful, compelling document that really zeroes in on your unique skills and achievements. A professional resume writer can develop a resume that positions you for the job you want - which is not necessarily the job you currently have. You're smart enough to hire a qualified specialist when you need a new roof or a tune-up on your car. Make sure your resume gets the same expert attention!

2) A Longer Resume is More Impressive. I don’t' know why this myth continues to perpetuate, but somehow it does. We are an instant-gratification society and nobody is going to wade through more than a page or two of information. So edit, edit again, and then edit some more.

In fact, in today's Blackberry, I-Phone, Twitter world, potential employers just might be looking at your resume on a screen no larger than a credit card. You may want to create a quick-to-read, introductory version of your resume that is no longer than a paragraph or two - yes, a Personal Branding Statement. Develop an "elevator pitch" of just a sentence or two that hits the highlights of your skill set and experience, as well as a key achievement or two. If your profile statement takes more than 30 seconds to read, it's probably too long. Have your longer, more detailed resume ready to send as a follow-up.

3) Include Every Job You've Ever Had. Once you've been out in the workforce for more than a year, you can safely eliminate high-school babysitting jobs and part-time summer stints at the local fast-food joint. Employers want to focus on your most recent jobs and accomplishments, so it's generally best to condense experience older than 10 or 15 years into just a line or two. As an added advantange, you'll create space in the document to strengthen the impact of your resume by expanding on your most recent experience.

4) I Don't Need a Resume - I'll Network to Get My Next Job. There's no question that networking is a key part of any successful job search strategy. In fact, up to 80% of jobs are never advertised, and most people leverage their network connections to get introduced to decision makers inside companies where they want to work. But then what? Sending an up-to-date resume is normally the next step in the process. If nothing else, having a great resume will help you clarify and crystallize your professional story in your own mind, and that translates into confident responses when a potential employer asks about your background.

Obviously, your resume won't get you a job. You're the one who has to sell yourself in an interview. The trick is actually getting the interview. Give yourself every advantage in the job search process. A professionally developed, concise, targeted resume is one of the most crucial tools in your search arsenal. A great resume can get the interview so you can get the job you deserve!

Six Big Resume Mistakes

2009-02-07T21:15:00.000-06:00

Your Resume - it's a thing of beauty and a sight to behold. You've worked countless hours perfecting your resume. You've researched all the keywords that must be included. You've made sure your achievements are quantified, all the relevant details are there, and your resume is perfect. You've carefully proofread the resume, you've asked everyone you know to proofread it, and you've proofed it again. Your resume is perfect.

Or is it?

Every hiring manager is looking for reasons to EXCLUDE you from that gigantic file of resumes in their database. They're looking for the cream-of-the-crop, top-tier, best-of-the-best candidates to bring in for the interview. Knowing what NOT to include in your resume can be just as important as knowing what skills, talents and achievements to highlight.

Here are just a few things that should NEVER be included in your resume.

1) An Objective. It's lame and it serves no purpose. Employers aren't interested in what you want from them. Potential employers want to know what professional strengths and skills you bring to the table. They want to know how you can contribute to their success. Employers want to know who you are, what you can do, and they want you to prove it. An objective just takes up valuable real estate on a resume and hiring managers don’t' read them.

2) Jokes. Your resume is not the place to kid around. I recently got a resume that said "I only fell off the truck one time." The candidate said he was trying to be funny, and while it did catch my eye, levity is not a requirement for most jobs. Unless you're applying for a job with Saturday Night Live, leave the sarcasm and comedy off your resume.

3) Negative statements. Don't tell your potential employer the things you can't do, hate to do, or simply won't do. Your resume is your first impression - make sure you bring out the positive attributes you bring to the job. Back it up with achievements and contributions from past positions. Emphasize your skills and accomplishments. Sell yourself - don't sell yourself short.

4) References Available Upon Request. Really? Believe me; potential employers know that if they request references, you'll probably provide them. And if you can't, well …

5) Religious/Political Affiliations or Sexual Orientation. If your work on a political campaign, church committee, or for the GLBT Alliance is relevant to the job you're seeking, then include the details of the experience in general terms without specifics regarding your particular beliefs or sexual orientation.

6) Goofy E-mail Address. Open a hotmail, gmail or yahoo email account for free and use it just for your job search. Create a professional-sounding email identity (firstname.lastname@gmail.com). The advantages are that a) you won't accidentally miss email responses from potential employers and b) you can keep funkydrunkywildchild@hotmail.com between you and your closest friends.

Getting your resume right is tough, but if you do, you just might get the interview. Get it wrong, and you'll never get in the door.

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire!

2008-06-21T07:16:00.000-05:00

Do we really have to go over this again? It amazes me that in today's world, where nothing is a secret and where background checks are as routine as a morning stop at Starbucks, that people still insist on lying on their résumés.

A recent article by Klaus Kneale on Forbes.com quotes Nancy Davis, a psych professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She says that college students are, in some cases, encouraged to embellish their résumés. She gives the example of an intern who runs copies of a manual putting it on his résumé as a manual that he "created." Now that's a stretch, and he'd probably end up back-pedaling in an interview. But then again, it happens all the time - and he just might end up getting the job he wants if the interviewer doesn't probe deeper into that claim. But how long would he be able to fake his accomplishments?

Alicia Shepard of The Huffington Post, and author of the new book, Woodward and Bernstein: Life in the Shadow of Watergate, recently wrote about two very successful, accomplished women, both of whom just lost their jobs because they out-and-out lied on their résumés.

The first, newspaper woman Marti Buscaglia, misrepresented her education on her résumé, saying she had graduated from Lima University in Peru. She had that lie on her résumé for 30 years before she finally came forward.

Then there was Marilee Jones, Dean of Admissions at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She was forced to resign in April after it was discovered that she had lied on her résumé about her academic credentials. On her résumé, Jones claimed to have degrees from Albany Medical College, Union College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She had perpetuated that lie through her entire 28-year career at MIT.

Recent statistics from Hire Right, a company that conducts background checks, indicate that more than 80% (yes, 80%!) of all résumés are misleading. Better than 20% show fraudulent degrees, 30% have altered dates of employment, 40% of people show higher salaries than they actually earned, 30% exaggerate job responsibilities and more than 25% have falsified references.

Lying on résumés has spawned hundreds of companies that investigate claims made on résumés. And companies, large and small, are paying big bucks to make sure résumés are accurate and the people they hire have been truthful.

You can even send your own résumé to a résumé verification firm and they'll do the background investigation before you submit your résumé to a potential employer.

So what's the lesson in all of this? You might get away with lying on your résumé, and you might get away with it for years. But it will come back to haunt you eventually. So it's simple, really. Don't lie. Don't do it, no matter how tempting. Your personal and professional integrity is at stake - and integrity, in work and in life, matters more than anything.

3 Things Your Resume MUST Contain - Besides the Obvious

2008-06-18T17:08:00.001-05:00

The purpose of a résumé is to help you get a job, right? It's normally the first impression an HR Professional or Hiring Manager has of you - its your introduction - your handshake - and hopefully your résumé will lead to an invitation for a face-to-face interview.

Usually less is more on a résumé. The more concise it is the better, and the easier it is to read, the more chance you have that a hiring manager will take the time to read the entire document.

We all know that a résumé is essentially a laundry list of your employment history, responsibilities, education, memberships and awards, along with other credentials and achievements. The basic elements remain the same, regardless of the format and style.

But in my 10+ years of writing résumés, I've found that the most successful résumés contain components that a lot of people don't consider when putting together their professional story.

Here are three things I think your résumé has to get across to a potential employer:

First, tell the reader WHO YOU ARE. Talk a little about the personality traits and characteristics you feel have served you well during your career, as well as your softer skills and abilities. I'm not talking a novel here, just a sentence or two that gives the reader a sense of how you might fit into their corporate culture. Maybe a couple of words about your management style or how you overcome obstacles.

Second, highlight WHAT YOU CAN DO for a company. If you have particular strengths and competencies to offer, outline them in your résumé. Have you positively impacted sales, profit, productivity? Say so. Even if you have not yet done some of the things you can do, selling your potential and goals can show that you're a desirable candidate who wants to be upwardly mobile.

Finally, PROVE IT. Quantify your contributions and achievements. If you improved a process that saved money, great. But you have to say it in a way that gives your accomplishment power and interest.

"Improved cash flow $150,000 per year by streamlining and tightening inventory control process."

sounds a whole lot more impressive than

"Implemented inventory process improvement, delivering significant cost savings."

Your résumé has to make the case that you are not only capable of handling the responsibilities of a particular position, but that you understand the impact of your job on the company as a whole. Show that you have an interest in benefiting the company, not just collecting a paycheck.

These three things give your résumé life, energy and interest. Give a potential employer more than a laundry list - give them food for thought and a reason to want to interview you!

The WOW Factor

2008-06-17T15:36:00.000-05:00

Imagine you are a hiring manager.

You're sitting behind your desk, its about 3:45 P.M., and you're getting ready to review the 237th résumé of the day.

Your eyes feel like sandpaper, you're starving, you're grouchy and if you see "References Available Upon Request" one more time, you're going to make somebody eat those words - seriously.

So you pick up the next résumé, heave another huge sigh of boredom and wish - for the 237th time today - that this résumé is different. That this résumé is the one you can't put down. That this résumé is from a candidate that gets it. That this résumé is from someone who's résumé is geared to what the hiring manager wants - not what the candidate wants.

Now - let's assume you have all the experience, skills, education and credentials necessary for the job.

What does a hiring manager think when she or he takes a look at your résumé? What in your résumé makes them want to get you in for an interview as soon as possible? What do you offer that the other 236 candidates don't? What differentiates you in the résumé market?

Your résumé has to tell your story in a way that makes you the high-end, upscale, exciting product - the unique brand the hiring manager has to buy, no matter how much it costs.

How do you get your story across in a way that showcases you in that way?

Here's how:

Know what the hot-button issues and challenges are in your field and show that you know how to address them.

Know what people in your business are talking about right now and talk about those topics.

Know what everybody who's anybody in your professional arena sees as the newest and greatest technologies, the up-and-coming products, the untapped markets and the high-profit potential opportunities - and talk about them in your résumé.

Show you know what's hot and what's not. If you can prove you have any experience or expertise in any of the latest hot topic areas, show it.

Make your résumé the one that gets the hiring manager out from behind the desk and running down the hall to the HR Director - to get you in for the interview. Good Luck!

What Does Your Resume Have to do to GET the Interview?

2008-06-16T12:56:00.000-05:00

Writing a résumé that provides information about your credentials, experience and accomplishments is the easy part.

Writing a résumé that forces a hiring manager to pick up the phone - NOW - and invite you in for an interview - PRONTO - is a whole other question.

What do Hiring Managers want, anyway?

Simple - they want:

1) Clarity – they want your story - clear, concise and in a format they can easily read.
2) Criteria - they want a candidate that meets their hiring requirements. They want to see the qualifications, education and experience needed for the job they're trying to fill.
3) Correctness – no "gilding the lily". They want a truthful, accurate picture of who you are, what you can do, and where you did it. They don't want typos, spelling errors or grammar mistakes.

So, if all things in the résumés of two job applicants were essentially equal, why would a hiring manager contact one candidate for the interview over another?

It's all about how you sell your personal brand. It's the things that make you the "must-have" candidate that everyone wants to interview.

You have to create a sense of excitement – a buzz – around your brand. Remember, a résumé is a marketing tool. It has to highlight your strengths and your contributions in a way that make YOU the standout applicant.

You have to tell the story of your professional life in a compelling and powerful way. When I work with clients on rewriting their résumés, I ask them to run the "so what" test on every single sentence. Here's how the "so what" test works: read each line in your résumé, then ask yourself, "so what? Would someone hire me because of this?" If the line is a reason to hire you, great – leave it in. If it's not, you should probably take it out.

Hiring managers and recruiters see and scan thousands of résumés every month.

Make your résumé the one they actually READ – and GET the interview!