Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
When faced with a daunting and months-long job search, many candidates believe that the best way to go is to prove they have talent in numerous industries. In other words, they can wear many hats and do just about anything.
Unfortunately, that’s not the way to impress a hiring manager or a recruiter. In today’s job market, what you have to prove most is that you’re the ideal candidate for the position. That means focusing on one industry, one job (preferably from a posting you’re interested in) and dovetailing everything you’ve done toward that opening.
Some of you might now say that it’s impractical to do that if you’re submitting your resume to 20 or more openings in a week.
The truth is that your resume needs to be custom-tailored to each of those many openings. Why? Because if you’re skilled in accounting, sales, retail management, graphic arts, childcare and customer service, a firm that’s hiring for an accountant isn’t going to care about anything other than your accounting skills, as they relate to the job responsibilities of the position.
Don’t kid yourself that a hiring manager or recruiter will be impressed with all that you can do. Too much of this on your resume and you’ll confuse them as to what your skills really are and why you’re applying to their opening at all.
The best resume is focused, targeted, and relies heavily on accomplishments – not tasks – to tell the story of you.
Stay on point and be certain to tweak each resume to fit the opening. It will take some time, but it will also shorten your job search in the long run.
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
With so many Americans out of work, it’s definitely an employers’ market. Hiring managers and recruiters can afford to be choosy, and with hundreds or thousands of resumes to go through, they’re looking for a reason to reject you.
Don’t give them that chance. Although your background may be impeccable, the details you provide could be painting a negative view of you as a viable candidate. To make certain you’re not sabotaging your chances, keep the following in mind:
1. Don’t use cute or weird email addresses. For example, an administrative assistance should never use an email that states prettyblonde@email.com or available4fun@email.com. Someone in a fiduciary capacity would be wise to avoid outofcash@email.com. No one should use luv2party or luv2drink. You get the idea. Keep it simple and professional – your first and last name or your initial and last name.
2. Never use your current company’s email address when you’re looking for a new job. An employer will wonder why you’re taking emails and phone calls from a new employer when you haven’t yet left your current position. It strikes the average person as dishonest, so don’t fall into that trap.
3. Avoid listing hobbies or interests on a resume. Even if you want to shout to the world that you’re a diehard Trekkie, that info’s going to look downright weird on a resume, especially if you’re competing for a position in management. Never list activities that cause a hiring manager to worry about your health. This would include extreme sports. No one is apt to hire an individual who may be hurt, out of work for extended periods and eat up the company’s health care plan.
4. Never write a resume in the first person using personal pronouns (my, I, we, etc.). It’s not professional. Always use third person.
5. Don’t state ‘references are available upon request’ – that’s a given. Also, don’t provide references unless asked for them.
6. Never include high school education on a resume (unless you’re applying to the federal government). Again, it’s a given that everyone in this country has a high school diploma or a GED.
7. Don’t include a photo on your resume. The only exception would be if you’re applying for a sales position in which there’s a lot of personal contact with clients. In that case, you’d use a professional looking headshot – no vacation photos.
8. Don’t include personal info on your resume such as marital status, date of birth, religious affiliation. It’s simply not done in this country.
9. Never use an objective to open the resume. An objective is telling the hiring manager or recruiter what you want. They don’t care about that. They want to know what you can do for their company. Paint a picture of yourself as the perfect candidate in an outstanding opening summary.
The above are just a few of the many details that could trip you up in your search for a new job. By avoiding these and keeping your resume professional and on point with what you can accomplish, you’ll go a long way toward getting that coveted interview.
Tuesday, January 10th, 2012
Recently, a visitor to our Facebook page asked this question.
Although it may seem easy to answer, it’s really not. Lacking details as to what the individual’s background contains and the job being sought, there is no set response.
Unlike 10 to 15 years ago, today’s resumes aren’t a simple listing of your professional and academic experience. These documents are now targeted toward distinct industries. In other words, they’re specialized. No longer can you submit a resume that proves you are a jack of all trades, because that’s not what hiring managers and recruiters want to see. They want in-depth knowledge of your niche in a certain industry.
Therefore, there is no such thing as a one-size-resume fitting all. Something as simple as format can differ widely with candidates. An individual in accounting would choose a conservative approach, whereas a ‘creative’ would want a design and fonts with a bit more flair.
Although resumes are – and should be – as different as people’s personalities, there are certain basics that must be included in every resume. These are:
1. A strong opening summary that paints the individual as the perfect candidate for the position
2. Showcased accomplishments that are quantified
3. Professional experience that doesn’t go back more than 15 years
4. An education section – or training section – highlighting post high school academics or specialized training
In order to stand out from the crowd and to showcase what’s unique about your knowledge, skills and abilities, you need a resume that dovetails your talents to the position requirements.
Settling for anything less will only add time to your job search.
Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
Now that we have the holidays behind us, it’s time to gear up for that all important job search.
Many of you might be considering application to the federal government. It’s a good move for solid employment; however, application to any government agency can be as complicated as doing your yearly tax return.
Here are some tips to remember:
1. You must have a job vacancy announcement to apply. Unlike the private sector, you cannot simply send a resume to every federal agency and hope to be considered. You won’t. You’ll be spinning your wheels. You need to look at job openings at the government’s website (you can do a google search for it). The vacancy announcement must still be open. If it’s closed, you’re out of luck. And, you must meet the requirements for the position. You cannot state that you’re willing to learn. Agencies want individuals with the required skills.
2. You must submit a resume in the format each agency requires. That might be Resumix (plain text unformatted) or by copying/pasting your resume into fields onto an online form. Each agency has their own requirements and you must meet them. If you do not, your resume won’t be considered.
3. Your content must meet the agency’s requirements. Unlike private sector resumes, federal resumes include vast amounts of data such as your supervisors’ names, work addresses, contact numbers, your social security number, high school data, etc. Be prepared to include everything the agency asks for.
4. You may have to answer questions such as KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities), ECQ (Executive Core Qualifications), etc. These are questions that require essay type answers. Not including them with your resume, if they’re asked for, will take you out of the race for the job.
5. Meeting every agency guideline when composing and submitting the resume, KSAs, ECQs, etc. If you do not, you won’t be considered for the position.
Many individuals feel overwhelmed by all that they must do in order to work for the federal government. However, that’s no reason to give up. If you feel you cannot do an adequate job of composing your federal resume and essay questions, then use a professional resume writer who’s trained to know the ins and outs of the federal application process.
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