You can't turn back time--but you can give your resume a face-lift.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+Hot Jobs senior editor
In a competitive job market, we have to do everything we can to make our resumes more attractive to hiring managers. This can be difficult for older workers, who fear that even if there's no bias (subconscious or conscious) against job seekers on the mature side of 40, a resume may make them look "overqualified" for the positions they want.
Here are five ways to make your resume more youthful, so you can score the interview--and make an impression with your experience and enthusiasm, instead of your assumed birth date.
1. Remove dates from your education. Hiring managers (as well as resume-reading software) may be looking for certain minimum requirements in the area of education. But they likely won't think about dates unless you mention them. If your life followed a typical pattern, the dates of your college degrees are an age indicator. (But education dates are a double-edged sword--if you got your degree or certification relatively recently, you may seem inexperienced; too long ago, "over the hill.")
2. Focus on recent relevant experience. Of course you're proud of all your accomplishments--but the people looking at your resume are interested only in the skills and achievements that relate directly to the position they're trying to fill. Many job seekers (not only those with long work histories) make the mistake of putting too much on their resumes.
For example, if you're a 45-year-old marketing professional applying for a management position, the fact that you were Congressional page in the early 1980s is interesting--but probably not relevant. (And the fact that you were, say, a data-entry clerk for eight months in the late 1980s is neither of those things.) Look at the earliest jobs on your resume--do they say relevant and unique things that will make you more attractive to this particular employer? If not, cut them.
3. Focus on new technologies. "Teletype," "DOS," Wite-Out correction fluid: your resume should have none of these things on it. Demonstrate that you're not an "old fogey" by removing all references to outmoded technology from your resume. If you're a graphic designer, for instance, you know that the design program Macromedia xRes is no longer being used--so why would you waste valuable resume space on touting your xRes skills?
List only software programs and technologies that are current in your industry.
4. Get online and get connected. Like it or not, many jobs now require a familiarity with social media. And almost all job seekers can benefit from the knowing how to navigate Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and industry-specific online communities. For many hiring managers and recruiters, if you're not online, you don't exist.
5. Give your resume a personal voice. Old-fashioned resumes contain a lot of lifeless writing, vague generalities, and "job-seeker jargon"--words and phrases that have lost all meaning through overuse: "detail-oriented," "team player," "responsible for," and so on.
Instead of saying that you're detail-oriented, give an example of how your attention to detail saved a past employer money. Instead of saying that you're a team player, tell the hiring manager about how your team worked together to increase profits. And never tell a hiring manager you were "responsible for" something--tell her what you achieved. Use numbers to quantify those achievements, and use strong verbs.
Finally, don't be afraid of "I" statements in your resume--enthusiastically telling your story as only you can will give your resume more vitality and help it stand out from the pack.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
'Tis the Season for Your Job Search
Don't put your career goals on ice during the holidays.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+Hot Jobs senior editor
Many job seekers are tempted to slow down the search (or pause it altogether) during the winter holiday season. But career experts say that, if you're looking for a new job, taking a break during the holidays is a mistake--because hiring doesn't stop.
At the end of the year, some companies rush to fill job openings that might otherwise be removed from next year's budget. And other companies will be looking ahead--as career expert Kimberly Bishop, the author of "Get Down to Business and You'll Get the Job," explains: "Jobs that might have been on hold until budgets are in place will become available in January," she says.
Roy Cohen, an executive coach and the author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide," agrees, saying, "There's a belief that recruiting shuts down during the holidays. That's a myth--so when other people take off from their job searching during the holidays, you're at an advantage should an opportunity surface. It's all about numbers and odds."
In fact, the holidays provide some distinct advantages and special opportunities for proactive job seekers. Here's how to make the most of your holiday-season job search:
Be flexible. Judi Perkins, of FindthePerfectJob.com, says, "When I was a recruiter, the holidays were one of my busiest times, and I was often on the phone either side of Christmas day." Conversely, this means that you should be prepared to interview at unusual times, to allow for a recruiter's or hiring manager's busy holiday schedule.
Do volunteer work. All sorts of philanthropic organizations ramp up activities during the holidays--and volunteering can be a great way to network, gain skills, and fill the gap that unemployment might otherwise leave on your resume.
Cohen adds, "You'll meet other volunteers--great people who, by nature, will want to help. You'll feel good, too."
Look into temporary positions. Many companies have end-of-year crunches--at the same time that many workers want to take time off--so they look to staffing agencies to fill gaps. A temporary job can be a great foot in the door at a new company.
Seek out seasonal jobs. Bishop says, "The most obvious opportunities are in retail sales or retail-related positions. There are a variety of part-time and temporary jobs that range from sales and customer service to merchandising, stocking, greeting, gift-wrapping, and playing a role in special in-store events.
She adds, "The hospitality industry also offers opportunities: hotels, restaurants,and caterers have more events and parties, so they need to staff-up.
Use holiday social events to network. You don't want to make every conversation about your job search--but letting people know how they can help you is crucial. Cohen advises, "Have your pitch--who you are, what you want, and why--ready and perfect."
And try to keep things positive. For instance, when you tell people that you're looking for work, also tell them how you've been productive with your time off.
Reach out to your contacts. The holidays are a great reason to reach out to friends and acquaintances, as well as to reconnect with people you may have fallen out of contact with. Cohen suggests, "Send out a holiday greeting, but add a little extra in your message. Email or snail-mail the card to everyone in your job-search universe. It should be upbeat--that you continue and are committed to search for a great job and know that it is only a matter of time and timing. ... And that you're deeply grateful for all the people who have reached out along the way during your search."
And remember that the holidays are a time for giving. Find ways to help the people in your network, and they'll be likelier to help you in the future.
Recommit to your job search. Start 2011 off right: make an appointment with yourself to determine your goals for the coming year; then schedule some time to revamp your resume, practice your interviewing skills, and polish up your personal brand.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+Hot Jobs senior editor
Many job seekers are tempted to slow down the search (or pause it altogether) during the winter holiday season. But career experts say that, if you're looking for a new job, taking a break during the holidays is a mistake--because hiring doesn't stop.
At the end of the year, some companies rush to fill job openings that might otherwise be removed from next year's budget. And other companies will be looking ahead--as career expert Kimberly Bishop, the author of "Get Down to Business and You'll Get the Job," explains: "Jobs that might have been on hold until budgets are in place will become available in January," she says.
Roy Cohen, an executive coach and the author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide," agrees, saying, "There's a belief that recruiting shuts down during the holidays. That's a myth--so when other people take off from their job searching during the holidays, you're at an advantage should an opportunity surface. It's all about numbers and odds."
In fact, the holidays provide some distinct advantages and special opportunities for proactive job seekers. Here's how to make the most of your holiday-season job search:
Be flexible. Judi Perkins, of FindthePerfectJob.com, says, "When I was a recruiter, the holidays were one of my busiest times, and I was often on the phone either side of Christmas day." Conversely, this means that you should be prepared to interview at unusual times, to allow for a recruiter's or hiring manager's busy holiday schedule.
Do volunteer work. All sorts of philanthropic organizations ramp up activities during the holidays--and volunteering can be a great way to network, gain skills, and fill the gap that unemployment might otherwise leave on your resume.
Cohen adds, "You'll meet other volunteers--great people who, by nature, will want to help. You'll feel good, too."
Look into temporary positions. Many companies have end-of-year crunches--at the same time that many workers want to take time off--so they look to staffing agencies to fill gaps. A temporary job can be a great foot in the door at a new company.
Seek out seasonal jobs. Bishop says, "The most obvious opportunities are in retail sales or retail-related positions. There are a variety of part-time and temporary jobs that range from sales and customer service to merchandising, stocking, greeting, gift-wrapping, and playing a role in special in-store events.
She adds, "The hospitality industry also offers opportunities: hotels, restaurants,and caterers have more events and parties, so they need to staff-up.
Use holiday social events to network. You don't want to make every conversation about your job search--but letting people know how they can help you is crucial. Cohen advises, "Have your pitch--who you are, what you want, and why--ready and perfect."
And try to keep things positive. For instance, when you tell people that you're looking for work, also tell them how you've been productive with your time off.
Reach out to your contacts. The holidays are a great reason to reach out to friends and acquaintances, as well as to reconnect with people you may have fallen out of contact with. Cohen suggests, "Send out a holiday greeting, but add a little extra in your message. Email or snail-mail the card to everyone in your job-search universe. It should be upbeat--that you continue and are committed to search for a great job and know that it is only a matter of time and timing. ... And that you're deeply grateful for all the people who have reached out along the way during your search."
And remember that the holidays are a time for giving. Find ways to help the people in your network, and they'll be likelier to help you in the future.
Recommit to your job search. Start 2011 off right: make an appointment with yourself to determine your goals for the coming year; then schedule some time to revamp your resume, practice your interviewing skills, and polish up your personal brand.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Job Interviews Require Connecting the Dots
by Scot Herrick
Here on Dice, I've made a big deal about ensuring you tell (remarkable) stories about your work because hiring managers remember stories better than they remember a listing of facts. One must create the stories, practice the stories, and then offer the stories during the interview. You know you will probably get asked what your most important career accomplishment was, don't you? There's your place for a story.
As powerful as interview stories are, however, they are not enough. Captivating stories are remembered by hiring managers - but not the benefit of hiring you for the work. Until you get the benefit from the story explained to the hiring manager - connecting the dots - you have a great story, but not the compelling reason to hire you.
How to Connect the Dots
You answer the interview question; perhaps you tell a hero's tale of overcoming adversity in the workplace to still deliver outstanding results to the business. The hiring manager is still staring at you with that "WIIFM?" acronym branded on his or her forehead. The one that says "What's In It For ME?" Because, seriously, that's what the hiring manager is hiring you for: to help meet his or her goals.
You answer the question or tell your story. Then you say "...and what that means for you is ____." This is the moment you connect the dots from your skill to your delivery to what's in it for the manager if he hires you. You, compared to everyone else. Everyone else rarely delivers a compelling story, much less connects the dots to show how that helps the hiring manager enough to hire you and throw out all the rest of the competition. You know, YOUR competition.
Use that Methodology Thingy and Ask 'Which Means...'
Getting to the benefit of something can usually gets done by asking "which means...." five times. You take your great story and ask yourself, "Why would that make me want to hire you?" And you answer (all to yourself while you are preparing). Then you take that answer and ask yourself, "Why would that make me want to hire you?"
When you get to the fifth answer, you should have a compelling reason to hire you based on the story you tell.
Hiring Managers Don't Connect the Dots
Hiring managers are people who have a million things going on. Your interview - important as it is to you - is simply another calendar entry of something that needs doing that day. It is probably an important something that needs doing that day, but it is also just another activity to complete before getting done with the day.
Great hiring managers connect the dots - but how many great hiring managers have you run into lately? If you don't connect the dots for the hiring manager, your compelling story will get remembered. But the compelling reason to hire you won't be there.
I've done hiring before - lots of it. But I didn't have job candidates who told me the job skill or experience or story and then connected the dots to say "...and what that means for you is ____." I may or may not have agreed with what it meant for me, but here, at least, was a candidate who not only told the compelling story, but provided me with a potential answer to what it meant if I hired them to help me reach my goals.
Can you connect the dots?
Scot Herrick is the author of I've Landed My Dream Job -Now What? and owner of Cube Rules, LLC. CubeRules.com. provides online career management training for workers who typically work in a corporate cubicle. Scot has a long history of management and individual contribution in multiple Fortune 100 corporations.
Here on Dice, I've made a big deal about ensuring you tell (remarkable) stories about your work because hiring managers remember stories better than they remember a listing of facts. One must create the stories, practice the stories, and then offer the stories during the interview. You know you will probably get asked what your most important career accomplishment was, don't you? There's your place for a story.
As powerful as interview stories are, however, they are not enough. Captivating stories are remembered by hiring managers - but not the benefit of hiring you for the work. Until you get the benefit from the story explained to the hiring manager - connecting the dots - you have a great story, but not the compelling reason to hire you.
How to Connect the Dots
You answer the interview question; perhaps you tell a hero's tale of overcoming adversity in the workplace to still deliver outstanding results to the business. The hiring manager is still staring at you with that "WIIFM?" acronym branded on his or her forehead. The one that says "What's In It For ME?" Because, seriously, that's what the hiring manager is hiring you for: to help meet his or her goals.
You answer the question or tell your story. Then you say "...and what that means for you is ____." This is the moment you connect the dots from your skill to your delivery to what's in it for the manager if he hires you. You, compared to everyone else. Everyone else rarely delivers a compelling story, much less connects the dots to show how that helps the hiring manager enough to hire you and throw out all the rest of the competition. You know, YOUR competition.
Use that Methodology Thingy and Ask 'Which Means...'
Getting to the benefit of something can usually gets done by asking "which means...." five times. You take your great story and ask yourself, "Why would that make me want to hire you?" And you answer (all to yourself while you are preparing). Then you take that answer and ask yourself, "Why would that make me want to hire you?"
When you get to the fifth answer, you should have a compelling reason to hire you based on the story you tell.
Hiring Managers Don't Connect the Dots
Hiring managers are people who have a million things going on. Your interview - important as it is to you - is simply another calendar entry of something that needs doing that day. It is probably an important something that needs doing that day, but it is also just another activity to complete before getting done with the day.
Great hiring managers connect the dots - but how many great hiring managers have you run into lately? If you don't connect the dots for the hiring manager, your compelling story will get remembered. But the compelling reason to hire you won't be there.
I've done hiring before - lots of it. But I didn't have job candidates who told me the job skill or experience or story and then connected the dots to say "...and what that means for you is ____." I may or may not have agreed with what it meant for me, but here, at least, was a candidate who not only told the compelling story, but provided me with a potential answer to what it meant if I hired them to help me reach my goals.
Can you connect the dots?
Scot Herrick is the author of I've Landed My Dream Job -Now What? and owner of Cube Rules, LLC. CubeRules.com. provides online career management training for workers who typically work in a corporate cubicle. Scot has a long history of management and individual contribution in multiple Fortune 100 corporations.
Monday, November 15, 2010
10 tips to build your career in IT
Peter Bartram
So you've heard that, despite doubts about the economy, CIO salaries can still reach £200,000 - or higher. You'd like a slice of that action. But first you need to build your IT career. What's the secret of the high-earners?
When you meet some of the most successful IT professionals in the world, one fact shines out: none of them set out with pound (or dollar) signs in their eyes. They simply wanted to be great IT people who added value to their organisations. And because they were, the success and the stellar salaries (in some cases) followed as a matter of course.
So what is the secret of their success? Here are 10 characteristics which the top IT leaders share
1. They understand how IT can help their businesses grow.
To put it another way, they know what part IT should play to help realise the organisation's strategy. Take, for example, Sharon Bevis-Hoover, Coca-Cola's director of IT global transformation. Last year, she caught the eye of Coke's new chief executive Muhtar Kent, who asked her to work out how IT could help transform the global business.
2. They lead from the front.
They know that's the way to build a high-performing IT team. Jacqueline Guichelaar, who has a high-profile IT role at Deutsche Bank, can provide a lesson or two there. Her ability to build and lead teams of IT professionals has propelled her career through a succession of big IT jobs around the globe.
3. They know how to make change happen.
That is important when so many people feel threatened by IT-led change. You can't manage change well unless you're as fascinated by people - and what makes them tick - as with technology, advises Graham Johnson, transformation director at Ecclesiastical Insurance.
4. They are great IT talent-spotters.
They know that effective IT leaders don't grab all the glory for themselves. Every one of the top IT leaders has that ability.
5. They talk business language.
They know managers aren't impressed with technical jargon. As Abby Ewen, director of business transformation at global law firm Simmons & Simmons, say, "I can have nerdy conversations with the best of them, but I can also have strategic conversations. And I think that part of being a good manager is being able to make the leap between high-level and low-level subjects."
6. They know that great IT projects come from great teams.
Heather Allan is corporate services director at The Global Fund, which deploys a £2bn each year to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. She says, "You have to motivate and inspire a team with a clear vision of the future and you have to energise and motivate people to want to achieve it."
7. They create strong relationships with their stakeholders.
To put it another way, you need to win friends and influence people. Take Ian Woosey, group IT and e-commerce director at Carpetright. He worked with people throughout the company to help design end-to-end processes which new IT systems would support. Then he gave people in the business a role in defining the new system requirements.
8. They manage expectations of IT.
IT is not a 'silver bullet' that solves all problems. Allan Paterson, director of information systems for the Isle of Man government, says, "The key to a successful career in IT is delivery, delivery, delivery." But, notes Paterson, that doesn't mean agreeing with every off-the-wall idea that comes your way.
9. They use new technologies to deliver competitive edge.
One top IT professional who knows about this is Richard Cross, technology director at ITV. Cross has been proactive in finding ways to use IT to cut costs. And he was also at the forefront in helping ITV harness digital technologies to deliver new viewer services.
10. They contribute to senior management decision-making.
In order to do so, they acquire deep industry knowledge to add to their IT expertise. And that lesson applies as much in the public as the private sector. For example, the fact that Alan Cook acquired a deep knowledge of local government as well as IT made him an ideal choice for head of service business improvement and IT at Cumbria County Council.
And there's a final lesson, too. All the top IT professionals have a clear idea what they need to develop their careers. Then they acted to make it happen. Decisively.
So you've heard that, despite doubts about the economy, CIO salaries can still reach £200,000 - or higher. You'd like a slice of that action. But first you need to build your IT career. What's the secret of the high-earners?
When you meet some of the most successful IT professionals in the world, one fact shines out: none of them set out with pound (or dollar) signs in their eyes. They simply wanted to be great IT people who added value to their organisations. And because they were, the success and the stellar salaries (in some cases) followed as a matter of course.
So what is the secret of their success? Here are 10 characteristics which the top IT leaders share
1. They understand how IT can help their businesses grow.
To put it another way, they know what part IT should play to help realise the organisation's strategy. Take, for example, Sharon Bevis-Hoover, Coca-Cola's director of IT global transformation. Last year, she caught the eye of Coke's new chief executive Muhtar Kent, who asked her to work out how IT could help transform the global business.
2. They lead from the front.
They know that's the way to build a high-performing IT team. Jacqueline Guichelaar, who has a high-profile IT role at Deutsche Bank, can provide a lesson or two there. Her ability to build and lead teams of IT professionals has propelled her career through a succession of big IT jobs around the globe.
3. They know how to make change happen.
That is important when so many people feel threatened by IT-led change. You can't manage change well unless you're as fascinated by people - and what makes them tick - as with technology, advises Graham Johnson, transformation director at Ecclesiastical Insurance.
4. They are great IT talent-spotters.
They know that effective IT leaders don't grab all the glory for themselves. Every one of the top IT leaders has that ability.
5. They talk business language.
They know managers aren't impressed with technical jargon. As Abby Ewen, director of business transformation at global law firm Simmons & Simmons, say, "I can have nerdy conversations with the best of them, but I can also have strategic conversations. And I think that part of being a good manager is being able to make the leap between high-level and low-level subjects."
6. They know that great IT projects come from great teams.
Heather Allan is corporate services director at The Global Fund, which deploys a £2bn each year to fight Aids, tuberculosis and malaria. She says, "You have to motivate and inspire a team with a clear vision of the future and you have to energise and motivate people to want to achieve it."
7. They create strong relationships with their stakeholders.
To put it another way, you need to win friends and influence people. Take Ian Woosey, group IT and e-commerce director at Carpetright. He worked with people throughout the company to help design end-to-end processes which new IT systems would support. Then he gave people in the business a role in defining the new system requirements.
8. They manage expectations of IT.
IT is not a 'silver bullet' that solves all problems. Allan Paterson, director of information systems for the Isle of Man government, says, "The key to a successful career in IT is delivery, delivery, delivery." But, notes Paterson, that doesn't mean agreeing with every off-the-wall idea that comes your way.
9. They use new technologies to deliver competitive edge.
One top IT professional who knows about this is Richard Cross, technology director at ITV. Cross has been proactive in finding ways to use IT to cut costs. And he was also at the forefront in helping ITV harness digital technologies to deliver new viewer services.
10. They contribute to senior management decision-making.
In order to do so, they acquire deep industry knowledge to add to their IT expertise. And that lesson applies as much in the public as the private sector. For example, the fact that Alan Cook acquired a deep knowledge of local government as well as IT made him an ideal choice for head of service business improvement and IT at Cumbria County Council.
And there's a final lesson, too. All the top IT professionals have a clear idea what they need to develop their careers. Then they acted to make it happen. Decisively.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Nine Memorable Questions to Ask at Your Interview
By John Kador, Monster Contributing Writer
The landscape for job seekers today is more treacherous than at any other time in recent memory. In other words, if you want a job today, the hard work starts when you prepare for the interview.
That means not just nailing the questions you are asked, but actually asking the kinds of questions designed to make the interviewer sit up and take notice. It’s no longer enough to be qualified. If you want a job in today’s business environment, you have to shine, and there’s no better way to show your excellence than by asking excellent questions.
Don’t squander the opportunity to shine by asking mundane questions the interviewer has heard before. Your goal is to make a statement in the form of a question. The statement is designed to:
-Highlight your qualifications.
-Demonstrate your confidence.
-Reinforce your commitment.
-Understand the employer’s challenges.
-Make yourself accountable.
-Advance your candidacy.
Questions are the best way to demonstrate that you understand the company’s challenges, emphasize how you can help the company meet them and show your interest in the most unmistakable manner possible -- by actually asking for the position.
Based on my interviews with dozens of recruiters, human resource professionals and job coaches, here are nine of the most memorable questions candidates can ask:
1. What exactly does this company value the most, and how do you think my work for you will further these values?
2. What kinds of processes are in place to help me work collaboratively?
3. In what area could your team use a little polishing?
4. What’s the most important thing I can accomplish in the first 60 days?
5. Can you give me some examples of the most and least desirable aspects of the company’s culture?
6. Am I going to be a mentor or will I be mentored?
7. How will you judge my success? What will have happened six months from now that will demonstrate that I have met your expectations?
8. This job sounds like something I’d really like to do -- is there a fit here?
9. Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position?
Use these questions as prototypes for questions based on the particulars of the position you are interviewing for. Make them your own and polish them until their shine reflects on you. Asking questions like these is not for the faint of heart but, then again, neither is succeeding in today’s hypercompetitive job market.
The landscape for job seekers today is more treacherous than at any other time in recent memory. In other words, if you want a job today, the hard work starts when you prepare for the interview.
That means not just nailing the questions you are asked, but actually asking the kinds of questions designed to make the interviewer sit up and take notice. It’s no longer enough to be qualified. If you want a job in today’s business environment, you have to shine, and there’s no better way to show your excellence than by asking excellent questions.
Don’t squander the opportunity to shine by asking mundane questions the interviewer has heard before. Your goal is to make a statement in the form of a question. The statement is designed to:
-Highlight your qualifications.
-Demonstrate your confidence.
-Reinforce your commitment.
-Understand the employer’s challenges.
-Make yourself accountable.
-Advance your candidacy.
Questions are the best way to demonstrate that you understand the company’s challenges, emphasize how you can help the company meet them and show your interest in the most unmistakable manner possible -- by actually asking for the position.
Based on my interviews with dozens of recruiters, human resource professionals and job coaches, here are nine of the most memorable questions candidates can ask:
1. What exactly does this company value the most, and how do you think my work for you will further these values?
2. What kinds of processes are in place to help me work collaboratively?
3. In what area could your team use a little polishing?
4. What’s the most important thing I can accomplish in the first 60 days?
5. Can you give me some examples of the most and least desirable aspects of the company’s culture?
6. Am I going to be a mentor or will I be mentored?
7. How will you judge my success? What will have happened six months from now that will demonstrate that I have met your expectations?
8. This job sounds like something I’d really like to do -- is there a fit here?
9. Now that we’ve talked about my qualifications and the job, do you have any concerns about my being successful in this position?
Use these questions as prototypes for questions based on the particulars of the position you are interviewing for. Make them your own and polish them until their shine reflects on you. Asking questions like these is not for the faint of heart but, then again, neither is succeeding in today’s hypercompetitive job market.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Creative Ways to Improve Your Resume
Stuck in a resume rut? Here's how to review and revise with fresh eyes.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs senior editor
Career experts are unanimous on the importance of customizing our resumes for each new job we apply for. But for many of us, when it comes to revising our resumes, the first question is "How?"
It's easy to get stuck in rut when you're working with material you know so well. So here are some ways to take a fresh look at revising your resume.
1. Analyze the job post's wording.
An easy way to make sure your resume gets you in the door for an interview is to echo the language in the job post. Look for ways to use the words in the post; a resume reader--human or software--may be screening for them. (If there is no job post, check the company's website--especially the About Us page and any corporate mission statements--for language you might adopt.)
If your resume says "supervise," but the job post says "manage," change it. If your last job title was "Social Media Ninja," and you're applying for a "Social Media Marketing Specialist" position, include the term "Marketing Specialist" in parentheses after your Ninja title (as long as you feel that this term could describe your past role).
Of course, don't stretch the truth!
2. Weed out fibs.
It's all too easy for little fibs to make their way into a resume. Several years ago, you added an unearned certification to your resume, just to get your foot in the door at a new company. Or you claimed competence in a software program you figured you could learn on-the-fly.
Then, as the years went on, those temporary resume fibs somehow became set in stone. Now's the time to chisel them out. Any lie--even a seemingly inconsequential one--can put your job search and your future job security in jeopardy.
Replace lies with truths--or set about making them true. It could be as simple as putting the word "pursuing" before that imaginary degree on your resume.
3. Get rid of the "objective statement."
Beginning a resume with an objective statement (a phrase that starts with something like "Seeking a challenging position ...") is out. As Lauren Milligan, resume expert at ResuMAYDAY.com, says, "Employers already know that your objective is to get a job, after all." She suggests, instead, creating a personal summary statement that "illustrates how you are better than other candidates for the job." She adds, "Identify a few areas in your profession that you excel at ... and that you really enjoy doing."
Tell the hiring manager who you are and how you can solve her or his company's problems, not what you want.
4. Get rid of redundancies.
Don't waste time telling hiring managers what they already know. Many people do this in their descriptions of past jobs. For instance, if your last job was as a copywriter for an online rug retailer, saying something like "wrote marketing copy for a wide variety of rugs" is unnecessary. Instead of taking up space with definitions no one needs, describe specific achievements. Did your work improve sales, get praise from management, or improve SEO rankings? Use job highlights, not job descriptions.
5. Cut unnecessary resume "stories."
Work Coach Cafe's Ronnie Ann advises removing things that are not directly related to the story you're telling about yourself and the job you're applying for. She says, "I have an abundantly varied job history--better than 'job hopper,' huh?--and remember back to resumes where I just wanted to make each job so full-bodied and rich that I was sure the employer would want to meet me. But as interesting as we may be as human beings, employers just want to know if we're right for their company--and specifically the job in question."
For instance, if you're both a professional accountant and a certified dog groomer, you might want to play down your dog-grooming experience when you apply for jobs in finance.
6. Look for ways to use exciting language.
Check your resume's verbs, and use strong verbs to make your resume more vibrant. For instance, "responsible for daily bank deposits" (no verb) could easily be "oversaw daily bank deposits" (strong verb). And as you find each verb, look at its subject--is it you? If not, should it be? For instance, in "duties included writing press releases," the subject is "duties." It'd be much better to say something like "Wrote all company press releases."
7. Turn your resume upside-down.
I'm serious. Turn your resume upside-down and look at it from a distance. This will help you analyze its appearance separately from its content. Does it look too dense? Is it heavier on the top or bottom? Emily Bennington, a coauthor of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," says, "Sometimes a resume will catch my eye simply because it's formatted beautifully. I know the most important component is the content on the page, but you should also pay attention to the packaging. Trust me, hiring managers notice!"
8. Write a draft in a different format.
In his book "The Overnight Resume: The Fastest Way to Your Next Job," career expert Donald Asher suggests writing a letter to a family member about your job accomplishments as a way to rethink your resume. (Go ahead, brag a little.) Then he says you can start turning this into a resume draft by removing most personal pronouns ("I" and "we"), taking out articles ("a," "an," and "the"), and cutting transition words like "and" (unless doing so would distort meaning).
Thinking of your resume as a letter or a story (in which you're the hero), or some other medium, is a great way to start making it fresher, more personal, and more effective.
by Charles Purdy, Monster+HotJobs senior editor
Career experts are unanimous on the importance of customizing our resumes for each new job we apply for. But for many of us, when it comes to revising our resumes, the first question is "How?"
It's easy to get stuck in rut when you're working with material you know so well. So here are some ways to take a fresh look at revising your resume.
1. Analyze the job post's wording.
An easy way to make sure your resume gets you in the door for an interview is to echo the language in the job post. Look for ways to use the words in the post; a resume reader--human or software--may be screening for them. (If there is no job post, check the company's website--especially the About Us page and any corporate mission statements--for language you might adopt.)
If your resume says "supervise," but the job post says "manage," change it. If your last job title was "Social Media Ninja," and you're applying for a "Social Media Marketing Specialist" position, include the term "Marketing Specialist" in parentheses after your Ninja title (as long as you feel that this term could describe your past role).
Of course, don't stretch the truth!
2. Weed out fibs.
It's all too easy for little fibs to make their way into a resume. Several years ago, you added an unearned certification to your resume, just to get your foot in the door at a new company. Or you claimed competence in a software program you figured you could learn on-the-fly.
Then, as the years went on, those temporary resume fibs somehow became set in stone. Now's the time to chisel them out. Any lie--even a seemingly inconsequential one--can put your job search and your future job security in jeopardy.
Replace lies with truths--or set about making them true. It could be as simple as putting the word "pursuing" before that imaginary degree on your resume.
3. Get rid of the "objective statement."
Beginning a resume with an objective statement (a phrase that starts with something like "Seeking a challenging position ...") is out. As Lauren Milligan, resume expert at ResuMAYDAY.com, says, "Employers already know that your objective is to get a job, after all." She suggests, instead, creating a personal summary statement that "illustrates how you are better than other candidates for the job." She adds, "Identify a few areas in your profession that you excel at ... and that you really enjoy doing."
Tell the hiring manager who you are and how you can solve her or his company's problems, not what you want.
4. Get rid of redundancies.
Don't waste time telling hiring managers what they already know. Many people do this in their descriptions of past jobs. For instance, if your last job was as a copywriter for an online rug retailer, saying something like "wrote marketing copy for a wide variety of rugs" is unnecessary. Instead of taking up space with definitions no one needs, describe specific achievements. Did your work improve sales, get praise from management, or improve SEO rankings? Use job highlights, not job descriptions.
5. Cut unnecessary resume "stories."
Work Coach Cafe's Ronnie Ann advises removing things that are not directly related to the story you're telling about yourself and the job you're applying for. She says, "I have an abundantly varied job history--better than 'job hopper,' huh?--and remember back to resumes where I just wanted to make each job so full-bodied and rich that I was sure the employer would want to meet me. But as interesting as we may be as human beings, employers just want to know if we're right for their company--and specifically the job in question."
For instance, if you're both a professional accountant and a certified dog groomer, you might want to play down your dog-grooming experience when you apply for jobs in finance.
6. Look for ways to use exciting language.
Check your resume's verbs, and use strong verbs to make your resume more vibrant. For instance, "responsible for daily bank deposits" (no verb) could easily be "oversaw daily bank deposits" (strong verb). And as you find each verb, look at its subject--is it you? If not, should it be? For instance, in "duties included writing press releases," the subject is "duties." It'd be much better to say something like "Wrote all company press releases."
7. Turn your resume upside-down.
I'm serious. Turn your resume upside-down and look at it from a distance. This will help you analyze its appearance separately from its content. Does it look too dense? Is it heavier on the top or bottom? Emily Bennington, a coauthor of "Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job," says, "Sometimes a resume will catch my eye simply because it's formatted beautifully. I know the most important component is the content on the page, but you should also pay attention to the packaging. Trust me, hiring managers notice!"
8. Write a draft in a different format.
In his book "The Overnight Resume: The Fastest Way to Your Next Job," career expert Donald Asher suggests writing a letter to a family member about your job accomplishments as a way to rethink your resume. (Go ahead, brag a little.) Then he says you can start turning this into a resume draft by removing most personal pronouns ("I" and "we"), taking out articles ("a," "an," and "the"), and cutting transition words like "and" (unless doing so would distort meaning).
Thinking of your resume as a letter or a story (in which you're the hero), or some other medium, is a great way to start making it fresher, more personal, and more effective.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
