Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Because resumes are sent electronically or by regular mail, it’s not often that you can use your networking savvy until – or unless – you’re called in for an interview. However, by listing memberships in professional and academic societies, your resume is a silent partner in networking your skills to hiring managers who are also members of these groups. Additionally, affiliations quickly and effortlessly indicate your professional industry or academic status.
When to Emphasize Professional Affiliations
Mention membership in Professional Affiliations within the Qualifications Summary when:
1. You’ve held a leadership position within the organization (eg: President, VP, Secretary, Treasurer)
2. The organization is recognized as the leader in your specific industry (eg: AMA – American Medical Association – for a physician; SPHR for human resource professionals; The Writers Guild for authors)
3. Membership is required in your career field.
A Word About Maximizing Your Professional Affiliation Data
If you are in possession of the hiring manager’s name and background (through research on company websites), it’s a good idea to research professional membership files (eg: college alumni associations) to see if that person is affiliated with the organization to which you belong. If so, make mention of your membership in your cover letter. Networking in this manner may give you an edge in being granted an interview.
When to Emphasize Academic Affiliations
1. If you are a recent college graduate
2. If you have little to no professional experience
In the above scenarios, showcasing academic affiliations, especially honor societies, will impress upon a hiring manager your dedication to the chosen field and your potential as an employee.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. My only memberships are with the PTA and similar organizations since I’ve spent the last few years raising my children. Should I include this information on my resume?
If you held leadership positions within these organizations that would indicate to a hiring manager your potential for a management role. Even if you did not hold such a position, if you served on committees, that would indicate your teamwork capabilities and commitment to your community. This information should be included.
2. I’ve been out of college for nearly 20 years. Do I still include alumni membership information on my resume?
It never hurts to include this information as the HR professional viewing your resume may very well be an alumnus of the same school. That data, alone, may very well capture the hiring manager’s interest so that added attention is granted the information on your resume.
3. What is preferred by hiring managers – national associations or local chapters?
It would depend upon your role in each. If you are simply a member of a national association, but are president of a local chapter, the leadership position should be emphasized.
4. One of the professional associations to which I belong is fairly new and not widely recognized, should I include it on my resume?
If it enhances your candidacy, and if you provide the hiring manager with additional data regarding its importance. For example:
Member, Culinary Specialists Guild, founded in 2002 to promote the culinary profession and to provide beginning chefs with worthwhile information to master the craft.
Tuesday, February 5th, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Whether you’re just starting out in your chosen profession or you’ve been forced to transition to another career because of the fluctuating needs of the economy, there may be times when you’re faced with having little professional experience to offer an employer. However, there are ways to maximize what you do have.
1. FOCUS ON ACADEMICS IN THE CHOSEN FIELD OR RELEVANT TRAINING:
Rather than placing education or training last, as is the case in most resumes, move that section directly beneath the Opening Summary (and before Professional Experience). Within that section, (whether you’re a recent graduate or a seasoned professional transitioning to a new career), list all coursework that is relevant to your new profession. For example, an aspiring Accountant would list tax courses, finance, bookkeeping, and computer proficiency in Quicken, Excel, and Peachtree software. If you’ve excelled academically in your chosen field, and have been granted a scholarship or won a school award, this should also be mentioned.
2. SHOWCASE ALL PREVIOUS PROFESSIONAL SKILLS THAT CAN BE TRANSITIONED TO THE NEW CAREER:
Instead of listing everything you’ve ever done in hopes of impressing a hiring manager, you should prioritize and showcase past skills that are relevant to the new career. For example, you’re a newly licensed Real Estate Agent, but your past experience has been as a Marriage and Family Counselor. What seems disparate on the surface, could very well work to your advantage. Showcase your people skills, including the ability to listen and to provide expert advice, which are all important in a sales-related career.
3. CHOOSE A RESUME FORMAT THAT WILL EMPHASIZE YOUR SKILLS, RATHER THAN WHERE YOU ATTAINED THEM OR THE LENGTH OF EXPERIENCE:
Although most employers do prefer a reverse-chronological format (that is, your most recent experience detailed first, followed by your next most recent, etc.), there are times when a functional format is best. Functional formats showcase professional skills such as negotiating contracts, dealing with unions, administering multi-million dollar budgets, etc. that may have been used in the previous career. These formats can also stress pure academic experience – in the case of an entry-level Accountant that would mean listing coursework taken or specialized training under the subheading of Accounting Skills.
4. BUILD YOUR SKILLS LIST FOR THE NEW CAREER BY STUDYING JOB POSTINGS FROM ONLINE SOURCES (HOTJOBS.COM, ETC.):
Match up any qualifications the hiring manager wants that you also have, whether you gained those skills professionally or academically. Then use those matches as proof that you have what it takes to get the job done.
Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
The best way to overcome reverse age discrimination (eg: you’re considered too young for a major position, rather than too old), is to deliver a flawlessly crafted, exceptionally professional resume that details your relevant skills and qualifications, while showcasing your accomplishments.
The best format for an up-and-coming young executive is a reverse-chronological format (your most recent position detailed first, followed by the next most recent, etc.) within an executive-style template.
What is an executive-style template?
It’s a format that delivers a powerful marketing message about your unique talents and qualifications – and it does all of this in less than seven seconds.
How?
The executive format generally begins with a tag line, which is the position title you want and one for which you must be qualified. Following that is a line listing your unique skills. Next, a brief summary paragraph provides a snapshot of you as a candidate. Within the paragraph should be your most stellar and recent accomplishment (as it relates to your current job search) and it must be quantified with dollar figures or percentages and time periods.
An example for a young banker:
INVESTMENT BANKER
Mergers & Acquisitions ~ Wealth Management ~ Investment Strategies ~ Marketing Plans
Results-driven, multilingual professional with a solid industry background for such notable firms as Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. and Morgan Stanley Dean Witter. Consistently works 15+ hour days, while thriving in fast-paced environments. Recent achievement includes retaining $20 million in funds by assisting in wealth management for corporate executives nationwide while at Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. Continues to foster business connections with executives in Mexico and Portugal. Fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
The above is succinct, powerful, and professional. It emphases employment history, major companies worked for, and a stellar achievement.
One last note: Unless your academic history is germane to your professional career (eg: you’re in a career transition and studying for the new field), it’s best not to unduly showcase this information. It will label you as a student or an entry-level candidate rather than a seasoned professional.
Tuesday, November 27th, 2007
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Few things are as disheartening to a professional as being fired from a position. But there are ways to minimize the damage on your new resume, and make it an effective marketing tool.
1. Let the resume format work for you in downplaying the loss of a job.
Instead of using a reverse chronological format that accentuates employment dates, use a functional format that showcases what you know rather than where you attained that expertise. For an accountant that would mean highlighting skills in reconciling accounts, generating tax returns, implementing internal controls, etc. The fact that these skills were attained at XYZ Company is minimized as employer names are not mentioned until the very end of the resume.
2. Use dates of employment to your advantage.
If you were fired from a job of short duration that fell within the same year as your last position, it can be completely excluded. For example – you worked at ABC Company from March to September of 2007. Before that, you worked at DEF Company from July of 2002 to February of 2007. Simply list the second company (DEF) with the years of employment (2002-2007). This will show an unbroken employment record.
3. Never explain on a resume that you were fired.
As much as hiring managers want to be fair and open-minded, they are only human and will tend to dismiss any candidate who admits to being fired. No matter how you try to explain your dismissal (i.e. “It was office politics.” “My manager didn’t like me; I have no idea why.” “It’s because I’m old; they wanted someone younger.” “They didn’t want to pay me a living wage so they hired someone less expensive.”), the explanation will still sound negative.
4. Don’t confuse being laid off or let go due to downsizing as being fired.
If your company was bought out by another firm and you were let go, that’s not the same as being fired. If your position has been eliminated (for whatever reason), you weren’t technically fired. Hiring managers tend to look at “being fired” as a negative that was caused by the employee (eg: they stole company funds, they were always late to work, they didn’t fulfill their daily duties, etc.) It’s important to note the distinction and to list those jobs on your resume when economic conditions, beyond your control, were a factor.
5. When there’s no way to avoid the fact that you’ve been fired.
If the industry you’re working in is a small one and everyone knows about your job loss, then it’s essential to showcase the positive (what you achieved at the job or what you learned), and to minimize the negative (confrontations with management or co-workers). A job search is not the time to prove that you were treated unfairly at the last company – rather, it’s the time to prove to the new company that you can excel because of your unique set of skills and qualifications.
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