Archive for the ‘Executive’ Category

What Do Employers Most Want to See in a Candidate’s Resume?

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

With so many individuals competing for jobs these days, the only thing that will differentiate you from the rest of the equally-qualified crowd is what you achieved while on the job. But be warned – an accomplishment must be quantified in order to hold any weight with the hiring manager or recruiter.

Too many times an individual writes: “Reorganized an entire department per management instructions.” That’s not an accomplishment, that is a daily duty. An accomplishment would read like this: “Generated savings in excess of $25,000 annually by reorganizing the marketing department and employing temp workers, rather than full-time staff.”

The above speaks to what a hiring manager and/or recruiter wants to see – how you can make them money and how you can save them money.

To further strengthen your resume, make certain to put at least one, preferably two, quantified and relevant accomplishments in the opening summary. This is especially true if you use the word ‘proven’ to describe yourself. For example, you write:

Accounting professional with comprehensive experience and proven results in negotiations with the IRS.

Proven by whom? You? That’s not enough proof for a hiring manager or recruiter. They want more. It’s better to write:

Accounting professional with comprehensive experience and proven results in negotiations with the IRS as evidenced by the $.5 million in savings, resulting from the 2009 audit.

The above clearly states that you saved your company a half million dollars through your expertise. That speaks volumes to hiring managers and puts you well above the others competing for the same position.

Transitioning Career Resumes

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

In this economy, many of us will be faced with leaving our first or even second careers to move on to the next.

 To successfully convey your old skill set to the hiring manager or recruiter in a new industry, it’s important to follow these key steps:

1. Look for online job postings in your field at the various job boards (HotJobs, Dice, Monster, CareerBuilder) and highlight the requirements you meet.
2. Dovetail all of your past experience to those requirements for the new position. For example, if you’ve moved from retail management to accounting, then some of your transferable skills may be budgeting, spreadsheets, projections, etc.
3. Begin your resume with a strong Qualifications Summary that shows the hiring manager how your past experience can be transitioned to this new career or field. Don’t make them look for it. Don’t make them guess. Most won’t. They’ll simply move on to the next candidate.
4. Showcase any past achievements that may be relevant to the new industry. If you were awarded for leadership in retail management that skill is also important in an accounting office.
5. Prioritize your data according to what will most impress a hiring manager or recruiter. For example, if you’ve just been awarded a degree in accounting, your education should come first with your professional history in retail management next. The key is to match your background as closely as you can to the requirements of the job.
6. Every line of your resume must speak to the new job and how well you can fill it. Therefore, leave any extraneous data that can’t be dovetailed off your resume.

The Most Important Section of Your Resume

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

A Qualifications Summary is your first and best chance to make a favorable impression on a hiring manager. It is a marketing tool that sells your unique skills to the targeted company.

To be effective, a Qualifications Summary must:

1. Provide a snapshot of you as the ideal candidate for the position.

2. Be concise and to the point, addressing what expertise you can bring to the job to benefit the prospective employer.

3. Address pertinent qualifications in the job posting.

4. List your most stellar and recent quantified accomplishment that pertains to your current job search.

5. Provide additional data that enhances your candidacy, including:
A. Linguistic capabilities in foreign languages
B. Certifications
C. Licensure
D. Willingness to travel or to relocate for the new position

6. State specific skills, such as computer proficiencies (if applicable)

7. List your past employers if they are well known, eg: Boeing, Wall Street Journal, Macy’s, AT&T, etc.

8. Work Permits or Green Card data for foreign nationals.

Should You Bother Including a Cover Letter?

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010

Hiring managers routinely receive hundreds, perhaps thousands, of responses from applicants for any given job. To avoid having your resume sink in this sea of paper, it’s imperative to stand out from the crowd and make a good first impression. A compelling cover letter that employs five essential rules will convince a hiring manager to read an applicant’s resume.

Rule #1 — Appearance

The resume and cover letter must be aesthetically pleasing and consistent in appearance. This would include using the same heading and fonts in each.

Rule #2 – Target Your Audience

Always use the hiring manager’s name in the salutation. If the contact’s name isn’t provided in the job posting, a bit of Internet research or a well-structured phone call can produce results.

Rule #3 – A Strong Opening

A dynamic opening paragraph is essential to capture and retain a hiring manager’s interest. Pared down to essentials, for a quick and effective read, it should include reference to the position being sought and a brief statement as to why the applicant feels qualified to fill the job.

Rule #4 – Showcasing Accomplishments

Include a bulleted area to emphasize accomplishments pertinent to the targeted job.

Rule #5 – A Proactive Closing

Always initiate further action at the end of a cover letter. A proactive closing indicates that the applicant will call within a few days to see if a time might be scheduled to meet.