Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com, ResumeEdge.ca Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
The use of social networking via Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace has changed the landscape of personal interactions. The same is true for the employment field. Today, job hunters can use networking sites to reach a wider group of individuals in their field. Your best source for this is LinkedIn.
Daily, I answer questions from candidates on this site. My answers, along with those of other experts, help individuals to navigate the currently unfriendly waters of job search. By joining LinkedIn and posing questions or readings the answers to others’ inquiries, you may be able to gain an advantage over your competitors.
Some of my previous answers on the site, include:
“Business cards” for students and non-professionals?
“You should absolutely consider using business cards. It will help you stay in the potential recruiter and/or hiring manager’s mind. I have seen business cards with a professional photo of the individual or their work product (if they’re in an artistic field) on the front of the card. Very impressive. On the back, you should list your qualities, skills, and accomplishments, personal websites (if any) as they pertain to your job search – somewhat like the opening summary of a resume. Darlene Zambruski ResumeEdge.com, ResumeEdge.ca Managing Editor Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)”
Does it help in an interview or career fair if the job seeker has a business card to include with his resume?
“Anything that can help you stay in the potential recruiter or hiring manager’s mind should be utilized. I have seen business cards with the individual’s professional photo or work product (if they’re in an artistic field) on the front of the card. . .very impressive. On the back of the card, could be a summary of your qualifications and skills, much like the opening summary of a resume. Be certain to include accomplishments. There are numerous internet and local printing companies that offer excellent work product at a reasonable price. I’d suggest using these sources for your business cards, unless you have a top-quality printer at home and you choose a high-grade paper. Darlene Zambruski ResumeEdge.com, ResumeEdge.ca Managing Editor Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)”
Hey which fonts are readable by machines & search engines when I post my resume online?
“We use Courier New, Times, Arial. To be safe, you might want to turn your Word or Works resume into ascii/txt. You should have no problems with that. Darlene Zambruski ResumeEdge.com, ResumeEdge.ca Managing Editor Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)”
What is the “value” of working with a career marketing company?
“It would depend upon the company, including their credentials, years in the business, partnerships, and success rate. Individuals looking for assistance in writing their resume and honing their job interview skills would do well to determine if the company they want to hire is a member of an industry organization, such as the PARW (Professional Association of Resume Writers), and if the company writers are certified as CPRWs and CEIPs. Next, they should determine if the company is a resume writing or job interview partner with any major company, for example the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times. Are they a member of the BBB? Do they guarantee results (be wary of those sites, it’s impossible to guarantee results when the actual job hunt is in the individual’s hands). If an individual has trouble organizing their professional data and ‘blowing their own horn’, they would do well to hire outside experts. It takes the strain off them, provides a fresh perspective, and results in a document and marketing plan that’s professional and proven. Darlene Zambruski ResumeEdge.com, ResumeEdge.ca Managing Editor Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)”
What should a 21st century resume look like?
“First and foremost, a resume should convey your value proposition to an employer. To do that it should contain: 1. An opening summary with one (preferably two) quantified and relevant accomplishments for your new career goal, an overview of your skill set, willingness to relocate, language skills (bilingual, multilingual), and any pertinent certifications. 2. Accomplishment section: Here, you should list by company name, your quantified accomplishments (do not repeat those from the opening summary). Make certain your accomplishments dovetail toward the new position. 3. Professional Experience. Don’t go all the way back to the first day you started working. Generally speaking, you shouldn’t go back more than 10 to 15 years. Include only those job duties that are relevant to the new position you seek. Begin each bullet with an action verb. Be specific in your verbiage, not general. 4. Education. Include college and post college work. The above organization allows a hiring manager to quickly scan your resume and determine if you should be invited to interview. No hiring manager will scan a three to four page resume looking for data. It’s important to remember that a modern resume is as long as it needs to be, provided it contains only relevant information for the new job search. Cut out the extraneous material. Darlene Zambruski ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW)”
As you can see by the above – the questions are diverse, the answers comprehensive. LinkedIn is a perfect (and free) resource to ask an expert your pressing question so that you can get on with your job search.
My answers can be found on a daily basis within the Resume Writing and Job Search categories of LinkedIn.
Tuesday, August 11th, 2009
After you’ve written a great cover letter and resume and sent everything on its merry way, the real work of getting a job begins. Following up on all the resumes you’ve sent is not fun. Maybe that’s why many don’t follow up. It does take guts. No one wants to experience the downside of getting a straight out “No” or being blown off. Grit your teeth and do it anyway.
Following up demonstrates your drive and initiative. Someone who calls and says, “I have applied for such and such position. I understand you must be busy, but I would love to hear back from you because I am really interested in working for XYZ Company” is not only proactive, but also shows consideration for the employer’s side of the process.
However, there is a fine line between aggressively following up and being downright annoying. From your perspective, you’re anxiously waiting to hear if you got the job. On the other side of the equation is a stressed-out human resource manager trying to make a decision from a stack of resumes. Follow-up calls are acceptable … up to a point.
It’s a tough situation. If you call and the recruiter has six positions open and 125 resumes for each one, no way will he or she stop and search through the piles. You are more likely to get voice mail anyway. Some advise to call after hours and leave a message. Then you’ve made it known you’re really interested, but the employer doesn’t have to respond, only note that you’ve called.
Employers who use electronic application processes usually have clear guidelines as to how they want people to follow up. They don’t want to get calls to see if an application was received, since many automatically send out an acknowledgement or receipt. Some also have procedures in place for applicants to track their resumes online.
There is no way human resources people in large companies can physically get back to every applicant anyway. A corporate recruiter from a large asset management company notes that because of the tremendous volume of applications they get, their Web site clearly states applicants are not to call. So if applicants do call, it is seen as a bad move along the lines of “You are not following the process on our Web site. You have shown us already that you don’t know how to follow instructions.”
If there are no instructions about how an employer wants you to follow up, the consensus is to wait about two weeks and then have the follow-up call or e-mail. Most agree that if your cover letter states you will follow up in a specific time frame, follow up in that time frame. If you don’t, you send the signal that you are not doing what you said you would do. How’s that for a recommendation? In any case, err on the side of caution to ensure that you aren’t pegged as pushy, irritating, or a waste of anyone’s time.
Tuesday, June 30th, 2009
It is astonishing how many recruiters say they receive resumes and cover letters filled with spelling errors. A spelling slip-up, even a minor one, says more about you than the most articulate choice of words. For instance, is it “too” or “to”? Did you write “it’s” or “its”? Just those two words alone count for a lot of mistakes.
Get as many people to proof and edit your resume and cover letter as possible. You can never have too many eyes. The corporate content manager of a large instrument company says she sees a lot of spelling and grammatical errors. Once she sees a mistake she won’t read any further. She is not alone. When asked about the worst resumes and cover letters they have ever received, those that read them can come up with some hilarious shockers. How about the person applying to work at ExxonMobil? Nice resume, great cover letter, but he spelled the company’s name Exxon Mobile. There goes that job prospect.
While such big blunders are not that common, many people do make simple mistakes that could be easily avoided.
The top four common mistakes are:
Spelling and grammar are at the top of the list, probably because people rely too much on spell check. Spell check is a useful tool, but you also need several sets of eyeballs to catch everything. Spell check doesn’t check the context and use of words—your or you’re, four or for?
Repeating verbatim what’s in your resume on your cover letter
Forgetting to replace a company name when cutting and pasting parts of a letter
Carelessness—”I’d like to work for your company” (and the organization is a non-profit or government agency) or “I read your ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer” and it was run in another publication.
To make your way through the maze of errors that inevitably pop up, follow these simple steps:
Find people who will critically read each resume and cover letter you write for the content as well as the details. You might not notice that a period is missing from a sentence or an indentation that should be there isn’t. A reader hunting for errors will find them.
Read your resume and cover letter backwards from the bottom up, word by word. It sounds silly, but doing so allows you to see errors you would probably gloss over reading it from the top down.
Read the resume and cover letter aloud to find words that don’t make sense or aren’t meaningful.
If you send a resume or cover letter to several companies, highlight each specific change so you make sure not to send Company A’s letter to Company B.
Finally, if you send a resume and cover letter via e-mail, stick it in the draft folder for an hour and then read it again before actually sending it.
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009
ResumeEdge attended the CCA national convention in Orlando on June 14th and June 15th. A common theme heard among the attendees is the notion that students must learn how to prepare a resume. Having a professional write the resume for them serves no educational value.
We couldn’t agree more.
Resume preparation, like leadership, is very self-reflective. You must examine your personal values, communication style, and experiences, and put them down on paper in a manner that sets you apart from your competition. The resume experts at ResumeEdge provide verbal and written feedback designed to help you learn about your unique strengths (and weaknesses) – and how to convey those strengths to a hiring manager. This self-reflection works to the benefit of the job seeker and prospective employer. The job seeker gains the confidence needed to excel in a job interview, while also learning where to focus for improvement. The employer gains insight into an applicant’s history – to determine if he is a perfect fit.
Check out our photos from CCA: http://www.facebook.com/reqs.phpfriend#/album.php?aid=84775&id=16472597901&ref=mf
