Tuesday, October 12th, 2010
Maximizing Computer Skills with Specifics
All too often data in resumes is presented quite vaguely, leaving the hiring manager to wonder what the candidate really knows, and what skills s/he actually has. This is especially true in regards to Computer Skills, whether the applicant is an office worker or an IT professional.
For example, an office worker may feel it’s enough to list skills in this manner: Technically proficient in Microsoft Office and other software.
After reading the above, the hiring manager may very well wonder what other software? What part of Microsoft Office – all or only Word & Excel? And what version?
When your data raises more questions than it answers, it’s no longer effective. To maximize your information, include specifics. For example, the previous statement should read like this:
Technically proficient in Microsoft Office (Premium 2000), including Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher, Access, PowerPoint, Front Page, and Photo Draw. Additional expertise in Word Perfect, Quicken, Peachtree Accounting, Lexis-Nexus, and Westlaw.
At a glance, the above provides instant and specific data to a hiring manager.
However, a candidate – especially in the IT field – should go one step further and provide years or months of experience.
In today’s competitive job market, hiring managers demand that information on resumes be well-prioritized and specific. It’s not enough to state that you have proficiency in Microsoft Word. You must state how many months or years of experience you have or your level of expertise, whether it’s beginner, intermediate, or advanced. Hiring managers will not call you in for an interview, nor will they test your skills unless they are first provided this essential data.
The nature of IT is ever-evolving. Therefore, an IT professional should showcase relevant skills as specifically and completely as possible.
This includes organizing technical data into subheadings, which include:
1. Software
2. Hardware
3. Operating Systems
4. Programming Languages
5. Software Packages
6. Databases
7. Any other technical proficiencies
One way to present this data would be a simple listing. For example:
Computer Skills
- LAN Administration: Windows 2000 Server, Windows NT 3.51/4.0, Novell 3.12/4.1.
- Operating Systems: Windows 2000/NT/XP, Windows 98/95, Macintosh OS.
- Software: Microsoft SQL, SNA, SMS , Site Server & IIS, CA XCOM, SAS, Microsoft Visual Studio, Source Safe, Cognos Enterprise Server, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Exchange, AS/400-Windows Connectivity Applications, cc:Mail , Multiple Windows Communications Applications.
- Productivity Software: Microsoft Office Suite including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Project.
- Hardware: PCs, Compaq Servers, HP NetServers, IBM NetFinity Servers, AS400 20, SCO Unix OpenServer, Macintosh.
- Certifications: Candidate for MCDBA, Candidate for CCNA/CCDA, Candidate for MCSE, Microsoft Certified System Administrator, Novell Certified Administrator, Novell Certified Engineer.
An even more effective way to maximize technical data is to provide specific information in an easy-to-read format. For example:
Technical Skills
Databases:
Oracle 8/8i/9i, 4 years
SQL Server 6.5/7.0/2000, 6 years
Microsoft Access, 6 years
MySQL, 6 months
Operating Systems:
UNIX , 4 years
LINUX, 4 years
Windows Operating Systems, 12 years
DOS, 12 years
Macintosh, 4 years
Programming Languages:
ShellScript, 3 years
PL/SQL, 4 years
ASP, 5 years
JAVA/JSP, 1 year
JavaScript, 5 years
DHTML, 3 years
Oracle Utilities:
SQL Navigator, 4 years
TOAD, 2 years
Oracle *Net, 4 years
Import/Export, 3 years
SQL *Loader, 3 years
Enterprise Manager, 3 years
Performance Manager, 2 years
The above example has easily obtainable and understood data that is specific and enhances an applicant’s candidacy.
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010
As the world and economy changes so does the manner in which an individual completes educational requirements. To ensure that employers and interviewers give the same weight to an online degree as one received from a traditional school, include the following points on your resume or make mention of them during the interview process:
The Online School’s Accreditation. This, alone, should provide ample evidence to employers that the Bachelor’s or Master’s degree you received was not from a diploma mill, but from a legitimate institution of higher learning.
Quality of Education as Compared to a Traditional School: This can easily be proven by listing the coursework required for completion of a degree, including the required reading list for each course. These lists will most likely not differ from those in traditional schools. Mention can also be made that transcripts will be provided, upon request.
Does the Online School Have a Traditional Campus? If so, and classes are held there, mention that in the educational section. This lends credence to the school’s reputation.
School Instructors: Provide, if necessary, a listing of your instructors, their degrees, and the granting institutions.
Coursework Relevancy to Real World Practices: If your online coursework was specifically designed around ever-changing technology or the newest needs of an industry, be certain to mention that.
Are Graduates Recruited by Employers and Headhunters? If so, mention that in the educational section. Again, this lends credence to the school’s reputation.
Student or Employer Testimonials: If the online school provides these, include a link to that page in your resume.
One Last Point to Consider:
Showcase your multi-tasking skills in that you were able to attend school while continuing to hold a job. Employers are always impressed by self-starters that go the extra mile in educational and professional pursuits.
Working full-time while attending school online also gives employers the sense that you will remain at their company during new educational pursuits, rather than asking for time off.
Tuesday, September 28th, 2010
Are you sending out dozens of resumes each week, but getting no response? Do you feel discouraged about a tough job market and your competition?
In your efforts to get noticed, you should keep one thing in mind: Put yourself in the hiring manager’s place. Ask yourself, “What would the employer think of my resume in the initial few seconds she takes to read it?” Even if you’re exactly right for the job, you may never be asked to interview unless you make the proper first impression with a well-written resume and cover letter.
Today’s resume writing services can provide you with a professional’s opinion on the best way to craft these important documents.
The content and format of your resume are very important. A resume that employs a tiny font and has too much information will be quickly passed over by a hiring manager in favor of a clean, easy to read, well-spaced document. Use bullet points and even-spaced margins. Don’t make the mistake of including every single thing you did at a previous job. Instead, list key accomplishments and major, progressive responsibilities that highlight your skills. You can then expand on your previous responsibilities in a cover letter and during the first interview.
Does the content of your resume reflect transferable skills related to the position for which you’re applying? Hiring managers often glance at a resume looking for key phrases and buzz words that they want in their ideal next employee. Take the time to tailor your resume specifically to a job description. These key phrases may get you past the employers’ Web-based application filter as well as generate enough interest for a first interview.
A basic, yet overlooked, detail is keeping your resume free of spelling and grammatical errors. You want to convey that you are professional, detail-oriented, can write well, and take your work seriously. One glance at a resume with spelling and grammatical errors might cause an employer to think: “sloppy, makes mistakes, and is wasting my time.” Take the time to proofread your resume. Then, have someone you trust review it for you.
Your cover letter should always express your interest in the specific job. Does it give you an opportunity to expand your skill set? Is the company dynamic and progressive? Clearly convey your strong interest in the company and position, and then explain why you’re the ideal candidate. This shows you have done your homework on the company and truly want to work there.
Putting the employer first by having a tailored cover letter and well-written resume will ensure you have sent out the best possible representation of yourself. It will also bring you a step closer to getting that interview and job offer.
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Category: Entry Level, Executive, Job Search, Professional, Resume, Tips | Tags: Tags: challenging job markets, Job Search, meeting employer expectations, Resume, resume format strengths, resume preparation, resume tips,
Tuesday, September 21st, 2010
It’s no secret that an increasing number of men have opted to be stay-at-home moms, while even the most energetic career women sometimes have to leave the workforce because of family needs.
Even if years separate you from the last job and the new career goal, there are tricks to turning a potential negative into an asset – it’s just a matter of knowing what to do.
1. Never explain in a resume that you have been unemployed for a number of years.
Opening a resume with a negative immediately places you at a disadvantage to other candidates applying for the same position. Instead, you should focus on your skills and qualifications as they relate to the job opening. That’s really all a hiring manager wants to see.
2. Personal data regarding your hiatus should not be included in the document.
All too often, candidates feel they must be completely up-front in a resume, or somehow explain their absence from the workforce. Therefore, they include comments like: “Being a stay-at-home mom with Johnny was one of the most rewarding periods of my life.” (That may well be, but a hiring manager will wonder if that person will be effective and professional in a business environment.) or “A serious disease and subsequent operation took me out of the work force. However, now I feel quite well and am able to meet all work-related challenges.” (Most hiring managers would worry about hiring a candidate who was so seriously ill, and that person’s effect on the company’s health insurance premiums.)
3. Use a functional format that stresses skills, rather than a reverse-chronological format that stresses an unbroken history of employment.
Think of a resume as a marketing tool with you as the product. Showcase the positive (skills, qualifications, recent education in the chosen field), while downplaying the negative (employment gaps).
4. List any Volunteer work or Community Service that is relevant to your new career goal.
If you have organized numerous charitable functions, raised funds, directed a group of volunteers, or interfaced with the media about community-related events, these are all transferable skills.
5. Showcase only that Education and Training which is current to the career sought.
This is particularly true for someone in Information Technology. IT has changed so rapidly over the years that showcasing coursework or degrees attained even 10 years ago will date your document, and be certain to hurt your candidacy. Instead, current training – as it applies to the new career – should be showcased.
