Archive for the ‘Resume’ Category
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
At first glance, your resume should answer two important questions for a hiring manager:
1. Who You Are
2. How You Can Be Contacted
Who You Are
This includes your name and any professional designations you have obtained, such as an MBA, Ph.D., RN, MD, or any of a number of professional distinctions. By including these designations with your name in the header you are providing the hiring manager with immediate and valuable data regarding your candidacy and career level.
The manner in which you present your name is also important. Including familial designations such Joe Jones, III may very well be seen as pretentious by a hiring manager. Using a “Jr.” after your name may be applauded by your family, but it could give a hiring manager the wrong first impression – that you are young and inexperienced. Caution is always advised in these instances.
A word about nicknames:
Nicknames can work for you or against you given the circumstances.
If you were named “Kendrick,” but go by “Ken,” use of your nickname would be appropriate as Ken is more modern and sounds more youthful than Kendrick.
However, if you were christened “Barbara,” but are known as “Babs” – even at work – it would be best to err on the conservative side during your job search, especially if the targeted industry is a traditional one such as banking, accounting, or education. Once hired, you can then decide whether using your nickname is appropriate.
How You Can Be Contacted
This data should be instantly obvious to a hiring manager.
Your phone number and email address are your most important contact data. For easy access by hiring managers, phone numbers and emails should be bolded and in a larger type than the physical address, as hiring managers rarely, if ever, contact a successful candidate by “snail” mail.
A word about phone numbers:
Although you may be tempted to list numerous phone numbers, including fax numbers, don’t.
Work Numbers: Never include a work number even if your boss knows you’re searching for another position as this sends the wrong message to a potential employer. He or she will wonder about your loyalty and whether you’ll be using company time at your new job to speak to prospective employers.
Cell Phones: Never include these because you may just be contacted while you’re in traffic with its intrusive background noise, or where the phone signal is weak which could irritate a busy hiring manager when neither of you can hear each other speak above the static.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
· I have numerous professional designations – should I include all of them after my name at the beginning of the resume? What is too much?
The key here is to target your approach and to include only what’s germane to your current job search. If you have a Ph.D. in Biology and an MBA, you would only list your Ph.D. in the heading when applying for an academic position.
· I’m planning to relocate to Georgia from California and am currently seeking employment in the Atlanta area. Should I list my California address on my resume?
As previously stated, physical addresses aren’t as important to hiring managers as phone numbers and emails. In your case, your physical address should be removed from the resume and replaced with “Relocating to the Atlanta, Georgia area.” It would be well advised for you to provide a time frame for this move so that a hiring manager knows you’re serious.
· My name is foreign-sounding and it’s not immediately apparent to a U.S. hiring manager whether I’m a “Mr.” or a “Ms.” Should I just use an initial for my first name?
Use of an initial would do little to clarify the matter for a hiring manager. Many overseas clients use their given names. then add – in parentheses – the U.S. or European equivalent – eg: Étienne (Stephen) Dore.
· Is there a negative connotation to using a P.O. Box rather than a street address in the heading of a resume?
Absolutely not, especially in these days of heightened security and when responding to “blind” postings on Internet job sites.
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
In today’s competitive job market applicants are now competing against hundreds of others with similar qualifications. No longer can you simply state Education and Professional Experience and hope to get an interview. Hiring managers have neither the time – nor the inclination – to search for an applicant’s skills as they relate to that particular opening. It is now the responsibility of the job seeker to showcase relevant skills for each resume submission.
A STEP-BY-STEP APPROACH TO TAILORING A RESUME:
1. Use online resources to determine job requirements within the targeted industry: Search online job sites such as HotJobs or online versions of newspapers such as the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Times for employment openings. Within these postings will be the job requirements. Each requirement that matches your qualifications should be included in the opening summary of the resume. This provides immediate and relevant data to a hiring manager. It tells them that you are a serious contender for the position, because you have the skills and background to do the job.
2. Prioritize data within the resume that meets the requirements stated within the job opening: For example, if the opening is for an IT professional, then all relevant computer skills (including years of experience and certifications) should be presented at the beginning of the resume, preferably showcased in a separate section immediately following the Qualifications Summary. Don’t hope that hiring managers will search for this data – they won’t.
3. Determine what’s most important to the employer – educational background or professional experience – and list it in that order: The most important section should follow the opening summary. However, if the posting does not specify that experience is required, and the only experience in the field is of an academic nature, then Education should always be placed before non-related Professional Experience. The key is to place relevant information first.
4. Pull out industry jargon (also known as keywords) from the job posting: For example, a posting for a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) would include key words such as GAAP, tax audits, IRS, reconciliations, financial statements, etc. When a candidate’s experience matches those keywords, then they should be included in the opening summary of the resume. (eg: “Additional skills in GAAP, tax audits, other IRS-related matters, reconciliations, and financial statements.”) Failure to provide keywords, especially when submitting to large corporations that use scanning software to search for this industry jargon, will result in the resume being dismissed.
5. Use the appropriate formatting and tone as it relates to the targeted job: A sales professional, for example, may use a more stylish format and perhaps a more casual approach in wording, if appropriate to the targeted industry. If that industry were pharmaceuticals or educational book publishing, a conservative approach would be employed. The entertainment field or high fashion would warrant a more stylish/casual approach.
6. Include ONLY what is relevant to the targeted position: If the candidate has numerous degrees in different fields (i.e. Biology, Marketing, Art History), but is seeking a position as a Biologist, only that degree should be listed. Resumes do not contain an exhaustive listing of all academic pursuits or jobs worked. They should only contain what is essential as it relates to the targeted position.
Tuesday, December 11th, 2007
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not necessary to have completely different resumes for each career goal. After all, your professional and academic experience doesn’t change. That said, how you construct an effective resume for multiple career goals does depend upon prioritization and organization of data, and answers to these questions:
1. Are the career fields similar?
2. Are the career fields diverse?
SIMILAR CAREER FIELDS
Let’s say as a Registered Nurse you’ve taught nursing students, you have served as an administrator of a nursing home, and you have worked in a hospital. Three careers, but all basically related. A resume in this instance can be both general (for application to many jobs) and specific (targeting one job) – it’s all in how you organize and prioritize the information.
For example, your Professional Experience can be broken down into three categories on your resume – Nursing Experience – Administrator Experience – Teaching Experience, with the appropriate employer and daily duties listed within each section (in a reverse chronological format). When applying for Nursing positions, that section would be listed first. When applying for a Teaching position, that section would be listed first.
In this way one resume, with minor modifications, can be used for many postings.
DIVERSE CAREER FIELDS
You began your professional career in real estate sales, but then transitioned to the paralegal field, and finally chose yet another career in bookkeeping. Three very different careers that would seem to require three separate resumes, but that’s certainly not the case.
To avoid producing resume after resume for each job, and if at least some of the skills are transferable within different industries, then a functional format is best for you.
Functional formats stress professional skills, rather than employers or industries. So, instead of providing a reverse chronological resume that clearly shows you’ve been moving from career to career and back (which some employers might find troubling), a functional resume states core qualifications beneath varying subheadings. The example given above would warrant three or more subheadings, namely: Contract Negotiation (Real Estate); Sales (Real Estate); Contracts (Paralegal); Payroll (Bookkeeping). These subheadings can be organized in order of importance to the targeted position (eg: if Sales interests you, then you would list your Real Estate Experience first, followed by your other experience). The subheadings can also show broad experience that could very well be valued in an economy where employees are expected to wear many hats and to perform many functions.
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
When competing against hundreds of other applicants for limited seats in degree programs, it’s essential that your resume quickly conveys what you can bring to the program in terms of academic abilities, special talents, or real-world experiences. Below are general guidelines as to what admissions directors seek in application resumes. Be advised that it’s always wise to first check with the targeted school for specific guidelines that will help in creating your new resume so that it gets noticed.
Should you use a Resume or a CV (Curriculum Vitae) for Admission to Schools?
Generally speaking, if you’re applying to college or a university for an undergraduate degree program, or to a law/business/medical school, a resume should be employed.
If you are applying for a medical fellowship and have numerous publications, presentations, and abstract submissions, the preferred format is the CV. CVs, unlike resumes, may be longer than two pages in length, and often exceed ten pages when the candidate has numerous publications.
Guidelines for resumes used in application to Colleges or Universities for Undergraduate Degrees:
1. Opening Summary: This should provide an admissions director with a “snapshot” of you as a candidate, and your most relevant accomplishment. The achievement may be academic in nature (a perfect SAT score, selection as Class Valedictorian), may involve a specific talent (awards for art work or in drama competitions), or be focused towards athletics (member of football team that won division championship). The idea is to show your skill and potential.
2. Education: In addition to listing your high school, include any relevant club memberships (National Honor Society, Gold Key Club, Art Club for an aspiring artist – Language Clubs for an aspiring Linguist/Interpreter), honors (dean’s list, etc.), and anything else that made your work in high school special.
3. Volunteer Work: List first that volunteer work that coincides with your future goals. For example, if your intent is to study sociology or psychology in college, then detail volunteer work done at homeless/battered women shelters.
4. Hobbies: List first those hobbies that coincide with your future goals. (i.e. working with fabrics and sewing if you’re interested in becoming a Fashion or Interior Designer).
5. Length: No more than one page
Guidelines for resumes used in application to Graduate Schools:
Many schools will have their own requirements. It’s best to follow those directives in constructing your resume.
However, some general components are:
1. Education: List only the Bachelor’s Degree, not any Associates Degrees leading up to it. Include coursework that is relevant to the graduate program (i.e. Banking coursework for Finance programs), and any academic honors such as scholarships, dean’s lists, honor societies.
2. Professional Experience: Your employment and relevant daily duties presented in a reverse chronological order – that is, your most recent employment first, followed by the next most recent, and so on. If the school requires it, include full dates of employment – that is, both months and years. If no such requirement exists, then only provide years of employment (i.e. 2001-2004).
3. Volunteer Work & Hobbies/Interests
Variables:
1. A Qualifications Summary: These are optional. Some schools may even require that they not be included. It’s best to check with the school to which you are applying to determine if inclusion of an opening summary is appropriate.
2. Career Accomplishments: Professional achievements can be showcased in their own section, or as a part of the employment listing. It’s best to check with the graduate school to see which is preferred.
3. Length: It’s best to check with the targeted school to see if any length restrictions exist.
Guidelines for resumes used in application to Law Schools:
The specific requirements for most law schools are:
1. List all academic and non-academic honors and awards received, including fellowships, prizes and memberships in honor societies; list and/or describe the basis for your selection.
2. List your extracurricular activities since entering undergraduate school, the hours per week devoted to such activities, and the dates of the activities.
3. List your positions of employment since high school (either full or part time), the number of hours per week devoted to each position, and the dates of employment.
Variables:
1. Length: Generally speaking, most law school resumes are no more than one page in length. However, some law schools have their own length restrictions and/or requirements. It’s best to check with the school to which you are applying to determine what is most appropriate.
2. Opening Summary (also known as Qualifications Summary): These are optional. Some schools may even require that they not be included. It’s best to check with the school to which you are applying to determine if inclusion of an opening summary is appropriate.
Guidelines for resumes used in application to Business Schools:
Unlike other graduate school programs, Business Schools are seeking candidates that have real world experience. Therefore, in applying to this type of graduate program, the resume should resemble, as closely as possible, one being sent to a hiring manager.
The components of a Business School resume include:
1. A Qualifications Summary: This brief paragraph should provide relevant and recent data that enhances your candidacy. This would include an overview of your professional experience (i.e. “Internet Entrepreneur with a successful background in founding and operating two websites specializing in. . .”), a recent/relevant accomplishment (i.e. “Increased sales at Bank One by 40% within six months of hire by implementing a unique bank card program targeted towards college students.”), and your goal in applying to Business School (i.e. “Currently seeking admission into the MBA program to enhance business skills for a future as a venture capitalist.”)
2. Career Accomplishments: When competing against countless other candidates with similar backgrounds, the only thing that sets you apart is what you achieved during your professional career. These accomplishments should be showcased in a separate section, directly beneath the Qualifications Summary. They should be quantified with dollar figures, percentages, and time frames, if possible (i.e. “Reduced costs 35%, representing $4000 monthly, by outsourcing all publishing work.”)
3. Professional Experience: Your employment and relevant daily duties, presented in a reverse-chronological order – that is, your most recent employment first, followed by the next most recent, and so on. Accomplishments that have been previously provided should not be repeated here.
4. Education: List only the Bachelor’s degree, not any Associates Degrees leading up to it. Include any academic honors such as scholarships, dean’s lists, honor societies.
5. Length: Business school resumes generally can be two pages in length as long as only relevant data, as it pertains to the application, is included.
Guidelines for resumes used in application to Medical Schools:
The components of a Medical School resume include:
1. Education and Training: List here GPAs, honors (dean’s list, scholarship), memberships in relevant honor societies, relevant coursework (Biology, Labs)
2. Professional Experience Related to Medicine
3. Other Professional Experience
4. Volunteer Work Related to Medicine
5. Other Volunteer Work
6. Hobbies & Interests – if relevant to medicine
Variables:
1. Opening Summary: It’s best to check with the selected medical school as to whether a Qualifications Summary is allowed. If not, exclude.
2. Length: This can vary from school to school. Therefore, it’s best to check with the selected medical school as to the appropriate length of the resume.
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