Tuesday, April 15th, 2008
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Because a cover letter is your first chance to make a lasting impression with a hiring manager it must be professional. To accomplish this:
1. Always use the same heading for your cover letter that you have used in your resume.
2. Whenever possible, use the hiring manager’s name. This personalizes the document and shows attention to detail.
3. Include in your opening paragraph what job you’re interested in and a specific reason as to why you feel qualified for this position.
4. Include in the body of the letter specific experience, skills or accomplishments from your past that dovetail with the requirements of the new job. This data should be bulleted, rather than presented in a solid block of text. The human eye is drawn to bulleted areas, and they provide the data in an easy-to-read format so that the hiring manager can digest the information from one sentence before moving on to the others. Examples of bulleted areas follow:
As my enclosed résumé indicates, my background includes more than two decades of service at US Flight with significant experience in:
· Aircraft accident investigation as a member of the US Flight disaster team.
· Security checkpoints where I handled countless calls for assistance.
· Training the Ground Security team to protect and promote public safety.
In addition to the above skills, I can also offer your firm:
· More than 30 years of experience in the airline industry.
· Expertise in dealing with government agencies, including the FAA where I facilitated communications to reduce company fines.
· Reduced absenteeism and occupational injuries, standards I maintained at US Flight where I achieved the best employee safety record of all US Flight cities.
5. If the letter is being addressed to a specific hiring manager, close your letter proactively indicating that you will be contacting the hiring manager’s office within the next week to see if you might set up a time to meet.
Sending Your Cover Letter by “Snail” Mail
With today’s technology, most resumes and cover letters are sent as attachments via email. However, if you have reason to send your cover letter and resume by “snail” mail, the documents should be printed on good bond paper (20 lbs) with a watermark. Choose a color that evokes professionalism – the best choices are white or cream, though a light gray can also be considered.
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 25th, 2007
by Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
A tag line can say so much more than an Objective and in a minimum of space. In today’s time intensive workplace, hiring managers appreciate information that’s delivered in a concise and well-prioritized fashion. Tag lines do just that whether they are specific or general.
A COMPARISON OF SPECIFIC AND GENERAL TAG LINES
Specific
Oracle Database Administrator
Elementary Teacher – Grades K-5
CPA – Tax Planning
Immigration Attorney
Portfolio Manager
General
IT Professional
Educator
Accountant
Lawyer
Financial Services Professional
TO ACHIEVE THE MOST MILEAGE OUT OF TAG LINES
1. Use specific tag lines whenever you’re applying to a job posting.
2. Use general tag lines when you’re distributing many resumes to numerous industries.
3. If you’re new to the field, it’s best to use a general tag line to increase opportunities.
4. If you have specialized expertise and want to remain in that niche, use specific tag lines.
JOB TITLES – ANSWERS TO FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
QUESTION: I want to keep my resume as general as possible to apply for all opportunities, so isn’t it smart to use “Profile” or “Summary of Qualifications” rather than any tag line?
ANSWER: Not really. In the modern workplace there are no “one size fits all” jobs. However, many jobs require multiple talents beneath one job heading. This would include:
Administrative Assistants who handle reception, word processing, mailing, and in many cases, bookkeeping.
Communication Professionals who are charged with marketing, public and media relations, graphics, and website design.
Sales Professionals experienced in inside/outside sales, B2B sales, consumer sales, etc.
In each of the above, a general tag line covers many opportunities, while also being specific enough to engage a hiring manager.
QUESTION: What if I’m transitioning from one career to another? How do I reflect that in a tag line?
ANSWER: Your best bet would be to use the word “Candidate” before an actual job title as listed on a posting (or for the general industry), while also indicating past experience that can be transitioned towards the new career. For example:
Candidate: Commercial/Individual Insurance Sales – B2B/B2C Sales Experience
Candidate: Insurance Sales – B2B/B2C Sales Experience
QUESTION: I’m looking to apply for a position within the federal government. Are tag lines the same for those postings as for private sector resumes?
ANSWER: Tag lines for federal positions are far more specific and should include the agency and the vacancy announcement number. For example:
Legal Secretary – State Department – Vacancy Announcement # 20057
JOB TITLES (TAG LINES) – EXAMPLES
Specific:
Physician: Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology
Law School Candidate: Intellectual Property Law Experience
Manager – Telecommunications
Vice-President – Academic Affairs
Business Developer – Entertainment Industry
Graduate School Candidate: Mathematical Finance Program
General:
Consultant
Senior Project Manager
Journalist
Sales Professional
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
By Darlene Zambruski, ResumeEdge.com Managing Editor, CPRW, SME
Responsibilities are the daily tasks an employee is charged with. In many cases you can cull information from your job description, but to create a truly effective resume you must go several steps further and include within these responsibilities:
1. Data that is unique to your career, field, or industry to indicate your expertise.
2. Information that relates to your job search or a particular posting to dovetail your experience with the targeted company’s needs.
3. Special projects to illustrate how you went beyond a mere job description to become an integral staff member.
Many job seekers mistakenly believe that all duties must be listed in a resume so that a hiring manager gets an accurate picture of previous jobs. Nothing could be further from the truth.
What Should Be Included:
1. Those tasks that directly relate to your current job search.
2. Those tasks that enhance your candidacy.
For example:
You’re a Senior Accountant at XYZ Corporation, having worked your way up from bookkeeper to junior accountant, then to Accountant, and finally to your current position. In the process you’ve become a CPA (Certified Public Accountant), and are ready for a Senior Management or Executive position.
To list the daily duties you performed while a bookkeeper (posting to the general ledger, preparing bank deposits, etc.) does little to impress upon a hiring manager why you are now prepared for career advancement. Hiring managers assume that as a Senior Accountant you know – or should know – how to do entry-level tasks.
So How Do You List Your Entry-level Experience?
One way is to simply state your job and the dates you held it:
Bookkeeper (1991-1992)
Another is to give a brief overview of what you did:
Bookkeeper (1991-1992)
- Charged with general ledger duties.
The most effective is to also include any improvements you made to the process while in the position:
Bookkeeper (1991-1992)
- Instituted additional internal controls to minimize fraud and potential loss of revenue.
- Charged with general ledger duties.
If you can quantify – with a dollar figure or percentage – how much your internal controls aided the company, then this would be an accomplishment.
Presentation of Material
Your Professional Experience should include:
1. Name of Employer (in the case of mergers, both the current name and the previous name)
2. Company Location (the city and state where you worked – not company headquarters)
3. Dates of employment (years only)
4. Your Job Title (and division, if applicable)
5. A bulleted listing of your duties (ordered by level of importance, with the most important listed first)
All data on resumes – including job titles – should be structured in such a way to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative, while also being accurate. Therefore:
Never:
Misrepresent your role in a company.
- If you were the “Assistant Editor,” that is your title, unless you prefer “Editor.” To indicate that you were a “Senior Editor” or a “Managing Editor” can easily be checked out by prospective employers and could harm your chances for the position.
Consider Using:
An enhanced version of your title. For example:
Mixologist can be used rather than Bartender
Child Care Worker rather than Babysitter
Owner/Operator rather than Self-employed
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- I have had numerous jobs within the same company. Do I keep repeating the company name and then the job titles?
No. Not only is that an ineffective use of space, it’s repetitive. Hiring managers soon grow weary or cautious of data that repeated again and again as it appears that the candidate has little to offer and is padding the resume. Instead, format your data like this:
XYZ COMPANY, New York, New York 1988 – Present
Senior Accountant (1995-Present)
• Most important task
• Next most important task
• Next most important task
Accountant (1992-1995)
• Most important task
• Next most important task
• Next most important task
Junior Accountant (1989-1992)
• Most important task
• Next most important task
• Next most important task
Bookkeeper (1988-1989)
• Most important task
• Next most important task
• Next most important task
Not only does the above offer data in an easily understandable and well-prioritized manner, it also shows a steady upward progression in the candidate’s career.
- How many bulleted job duties should go beneath each title?
At least two, but no more than six. Remember, a hiring manager wants a snapshot of you as a potential employee, not an exhaustive study of everything you’ve ever done. Always exclude duties that do not enhance your candidacy.
- How long should bulleted sentences be?
No more than three lines, though two are preferable. If you submit a document with large blocks of text, the hiring manager will feel daunted while scanning the document, and may choose not to read it. Bulleted sentences should be concise and to-the point. They are employed in the modern resume, rather than paragraphs, because they provide data in quick, easy-to comprehend portions.
- Do I write these sentences in the first person as if I’m talking to the hiring manager?
No. Use of personal pronouns (I, my, etc.) is not considered professional.
Bulleted sentences, within the Professional Experience section, should begin with strong action verbs (which make for more lively reading) and should provide only the most essential data to give the hiring manager a clear picture of what you do or what you have done.
This:
• Recommended new internal controls to minimize fraud risk, which were implemented by management.
Rather Than This:
• I was on the job for some time when I noticed that the internal controls could be improved, so I set up a meeting with my supervisor, and at that meeting I told him that we might be facing some problems in regards to people stealing company funds if we didn’t have better internal controls. After a few weeks, my supervisor put these controls into place.
- Should I list all of my jobs since I got out of college thirty years ago? If not, then how do I let employers know that I’ve been working since graduating from college?
The general rule is go back no further than 15 years. For IT professionals, it’s not necessary to go back further than 10 years as the industry has changed so rapidly.
Rather than providing details for numerous jobs that have little to no bearing on your current search, the earlier positions can be briefly mentioned at the end of the last detailed job listing using the following format:
Additional Experience as a Bookkeeper for Jones & Co. in Manhattan, F.W. Schwartz in Queens, and at Macy’s in New York.
The above informs a hiring manager of your work history without including unnecessary details.
- I’m still at my present position, but some of my projects were completed months ago – how do I indicate this?
Continue to list your most important tasks first, while also ordering them so that present tasks take precedence over completed tasks.
For example:
XYZ COMPANY, New York, New York 1988 – Present
Senior Accountant (1995-Present)
• Oversee a staff of 13, including an office manager, bookkeeper, and 10 junior accountants.
• Generate financial statements for management use.
• Assisted in first quarter audit; recommended additional internal controls.
The first two tasks are written in present tense as these are on-going duties. The third bullet is written in past tense, as this project has been completed.
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