Do you want to create a more "user friendly" resume to
submit to recruiters and hiring authorities? Here are 15
suggestions for composing more compelling and targeted
resumes.
1. Create a resume headline. Headlines sell newspapers.
They can also sell job search candidates. Hiring managers
don't really read resumes, but rather scan them to
determine the candidate's fit for the job. Help make that
fit more obvious by creating a resume headline that tells
the reader your strengths such as Award Winning Television
Executive Producer, Entry Level Public Relations Assistant,
or Information Technology Product Developer.
2. Create a profile section. Hiring managers tend to focus
on the top third of the first page of the resume. They may
only read on if your profile grasps their attention
quickly. Communicate your value-add in the profile section.
List powerful and consistent examples of how you help the
companies you support make money, save money, save time
grow the business, and maintain the business.
3. List core competencies. One of the first things hiring
managers will be looking for is a sense if you have the
skill set necessary to do the job. Your areas of expertise
should be displayed prominently early on in the resume. Try
to use the keywords, or phrases that are important to your
job function and industry. If you are not sure what the
appropriate keywords are, look for consistent wording and
phrases on job postings for positions in your field to
better align your qualifications with potential job
specifications.
4. Include brief descriptions of the companies you have
worked for. For each organization you were part of, include
information on the company including the industry the
company represents, size, and revenues if publicly-held.
The company description is particularly important if you
have worked for new, small, or lesser-known firms. Refer to
the company's website and "about us" page to secure
additional data for your description.
5. Discuss operating budgets and staff size. Include
information on budget and staff size to help your reader
gain a better understanding of the scope of your
responsibilities.
6. Minimize descriptions of job tasks. While it's important
to convey a brief overview of job tasks, this information
does little to differentiate candidates. Many candidates
have experience doing similar job tasks. What makes them
unique and memorable is the accomplishment within the task.
Spend no more than 3-6 lines discussing the job tasks
associated with each position and save space for more
valuable accomplishment-focused information.
7. Maximize use of accomplishments. Employers are
interested in reading about your accomplishments. Past
accomplishments are a better predictor of success than a
discussion of job tasks. Accomplishment statements are
those that clearly indicate how you help the companies you
support make money, save money, save time, grow the
business, and maintain the business.
8. Group like accomplishments into categories. After you
develop your accomplishment statements, look for trends
within your achievements. Do some accomplishments represent
increases in sales while others represent decreases in
costs or process improvements? By grouping accomplishments
by theme, and creating category headings within the
chronology for each position, you can better communicate
your personal brand and value add and make it easier for
your reader to follow the accomplishments achieved within
each key critical competency.
9. List appropriate hobbies. Only include hobbies when they
are relevant to your job search or in synch with you target
audience. For example, an IT technician might mention his
knack for fixing up old cars and an event planner might
mention her involvement in community theater. Hobbies can
also be used effectively to counter potential age bias. For
example, the over 50 candidate might mention that she is a
marathon runner to imply overall stamina, health, and
fitness and to dissuade any bias that as an older worker
the candidate lacks the necessary energy to do the job.
10. Include appropriate volunteer experience. Again,
include what is relevant and discuss the competencies
gained from the volunteer experience that elevate your
candidacy. For example, a career changer seeking an entrée
into the healthcare field might discuss the volunteer work
she did in a hospital or a technology professional might
mention teaching computer skills to disadvantage youths.
11. List relevant professional affiliations. Include
relevant and recent professional affiliations and make
special mention of any leadership roles held within these
organizations.
12. Report employment history by years. Hiring managers
generally expect to see the years you were employed by a
company, not the months and years. Exceptions to this
include candidates who have less than one year of tenure in
a position or students reporting on summer employment or
internships.
13. Focus on past 10-15 years of employment. Generally,
hiring authorities are more interested in recent
accomplishments than those achieved over a decade ago.
Weight information on your documents towards the past 10-15
years and minimize the amount of space dedicated to earlier
work experience.
14. Include graduation dates. Sometimes job seekers omit
their graduation date on their resume to mitigate the
potential of someone discovering their age and possibly
using this information to bias their candidacy. But by
omitting the date, you may actually be calling more
attention to the very issue you are trying to hide because
employers may question why you chose to omit the graduation
date. They may even assume that you are older than you
actually are.
15. Omit "references available upon request". It is
understood that candidates will provide references when
asked. Save the space for more compelling,
accomplishment-driven information.
----------------------------------------------------
Barbara Safani, owner of Career Solvers
(http://www.careersolvers.com ) has over twelve years of
experience in career management, recruiting, executive
coaching, and organizational development. Ms. Safani
partners with both Fortune 100 companies and individuals to
deliver targeted programs focusing on resume development,
job search strategies, networking, interviewing, and salary
negotiation skills.
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