Tips

10 New Resume Secrets
By Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
You’re fooling yourself if you think you’re going to get a job by copying a resume out of a book.

A majority of job seekers will simply buy a resume book, find the one that best fits them and plug in their information. Voila! Done! Those are most likely the people who don’t understand why interviews are few and far between.

“Like a perfect tennis serve, a perfect golf swing or a perfect omelet, a perfect resume takes more effort than simply copying what others do,” writes Tom Jackson, in his book ‘The Perfect Resume’ (Broadway Books) “Doing the extra legwork pays big dividends. Your rewards come as much from the process of thinking and defining what you want and what you have to offer as from the finished resume.”

This is especially true considering the newest trends in job searching:

• Year-over-year increased usage of job search Web sites by both job seekers and employers.
• Companies matching people with specific skills to related work opportunities.

Growing desire by workers to find exactly which job will satisfy their values and needs.

If you want to stay competitive by keeping up with these trends, you’ve got to try some new tactics. Here are today’s new resume rules from Jackson’s book, ‘The Perfect Resume.’

1. Using technology is preferable to having it use you. A digital resume is the main contact medium for 70 percent of the nation’s employers. Not crafting your resume consistent with Internet and search technology will severely limit your reach.

2. Prepare resumes in both presentation (designed for printed copies) and digital (electronic delivery) forms. Understand the implications, limitations and strengths of each.

3. Take the time to do it right. There are very few jobs that do not require a resume as a prerequisite to even being considered as a candidate.

4. The quality of the opportunities you are considered for is a function of the quality of your resume and how you get it delivered.

5. Know yourself and what you want. Until you have examined and weighed both internal factors (your values, interests, skills, accomplishments, capabilities) and external factors (growth companies, corporate values, niche opportunities), you are not equipped to make a compelling case for the kind of work you seek.

6. Gear your resume toward where you want to be by focusing on your future career or job goals. If you rely only on past jobs, you will be preparing a historical document that tells where you have been, not where you are headed.

7. Customize your resumes for the individual jobs you are after. One size does not fit all. You are an individual with distinction.

8. Target delivery of your resume precisely. The best resume in the world will not help you unless it gets to the right person.

9. Avoid generalities. Use objective and summary statements that are custom-tailored to each separate job target. An objective statement tells the reader what you want, and a summary statement shows why you should be considered for the job.

10. Pay close attention to keywords and skills descriptions so you will pass unimpeded through screening filters. At the same time, include material that demonstrates success and accomplishment related to the specific job, so the human reader is motivated to see you.

“10 New Resume Rules” excerpted with permission from “The Perfect Resume” by Tom Jackson.

Fluffy, Vague Phrases Cloud Many Resumes
By Dawn Sagario, The Des Moines Register
Hiring managers are deluged daily with resumes. They seek those that quickly and succinctly tell them a candidate’s specific skills, experience and accomplishments. Resumes swiftly let them know if you make the cut or get tossed into the reject pile.

Time-pressed recruiters can get up to 400 resumes a day, said Mike Worthington, co-founder of ResumeDoctor.com. They’ll spend less than 10 seconds considering each one. Worthington said applicants need to use those seconds wisely.

Job seekers, he said, must grab a reader’s attention in the top one-third of their resumes. List concrete examples of their skills, level of expertise and how those specifically match the requirements of the position.

“Fluff” phrases still abound in resumes, according to a recent survey by ResumeDoctor.com. The company examined the skills cited by job seekers on more than 160,000 resumes. The study found that half of them used one or more vague phrases to describe their work skills and experience.

The top five fluff phrases were: “communication skills,” “team player,” “organizational skills,” interpersonal skills” and “driven.”

A more effective resume shows — rather than tells — what you’ve accomplished.

For example: Swap “communication skills” with “facilitated 12 leadership development workshops” or “presented monthly financial reports for the board of directors.”

Change “driven” to “top outside accounts sales representative in 2001, 2002 and 2003.”

Some job hunters make the mistake of using previous resumes as a blueprint for updated versions, said Mary Dunleavy, president of Advantage Resume & Career Services in Adel, Iowa. The style in which the dated resume is written might not be the most productive now.

In the past, resumes included an “objective” statement, which stated what employees wanted to accomplish for themselves, Dunleavy said.

Today, she said, scrap the “objective,” and replace it with a qualifications summary. Dunleavy suggests bulleting four to six key strengths or accomplishments.

Work accomplishments, educational background and work experience are three main areas recruiter John Blanchard scans resumes for.

Blanchard, an owner of Midwest Search Group in Clive, Iowa, reads 35 to 40 resumes a day, spending an average of two minutes on each.

He looks for resumes that are well-written and easy to read, using bullets. He doesn’t like big blocks of text or narratives.

Blanchard, a recruiter for 10 years specializing in banking and finance, also likes to see:

– Resumes no longer than two pages. A one and one-half page resume for someone with five or more years of experience is acceptable; a page for those less experienced.

– System skills listed. Very few people emphasize skills in using programs like Microsoft Excel or Word.

His resume turnoffs are:

– Employment dates given in years, not in months. That’s usually a mask to cover a gap.

– Excessive use of “I,” “my” or “me.” “It can show that they’re not a team player,” he said.

– Listing interests. Stay away from mentioning hobbies like jogging, biking and golfing. “That, to me, is what I consider true fluff,” Blanchard said.

Real-Life Resume Makeovers
Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com
Extreme makeovers are all the rage these days, and people everywhere are flocking to make over their hair, their makeup, their wardrobes and even their homes. But while getting a hot new haircut can turn heads on the weekends, some people should be getting resume makeovers to give them a boost in their professional lives. We took two real-life resumes and gave them to Richard Fein, author of books such as 101 Quick Tips for a Dynamite Resume (Impact Publications), to get his expert opinion of how these resumes could be revamped and improved. Fein provided his years of career counseling experience to help these candidates sharpen their focus and better tout their skills.

Before
Dan is looking for a sales position, and starts his resume with the following objective: “Seeking a full-time position in inside sales.”

After
Fein says Dan should include characteristics that are sought after for his intended line of work in the objective. For example, instead of just writing that he is seeking a sales position, Dan should highlight some positive qualities that an employer would want in a candidate. For example: “Self-starter and team player with excellent time management and communication skills seeks position in inside sales.”

Before
Dan included a section in his resume titled “Relevant Courses.” The courses listed are “Intro to Computer Information Systems, Philosophy of Law, Ethics, Academic Writing II and various literature/writing courses.”

After
“Dan should delete text that doesn’t add value,” says Fein. “No course he has indicated is directly related to his stated objective. If he had taken a course called ‘Closing the Inside Sale’ he could include that under the heading ‘Sales Courses.'” Fein suggests leaving this information out.

Before
Dan was a member of his college crew team, and states this fact at the end of his resume under a section called “Extracurricular Activities.” This fact is listed as a bullet along with other activities such as “weight training,” and “intramural arena football.”

After
Fein says you should always put important points where they are readily visible, which means early in the resume. “In the case of a recent college graduate, varsity sports are almost always a selling point,” he says. “Dan was on his college crew team, but has buried that fact at the end of his resume. He should move that selling point under ‘Education’.” Fein says this part of Dan’s experience is important because it implies competitiveness, the ability to be a team player, and good time management skills, all of which are characteristics that are important to in sales careers.

Before
Janet has been in the workforce for more than 15 years and is seeking a sales position. She has a resume with solid experience that comes from several companies throughout her career. Her description of her most recent job includes the following bullets:
– Full line food service sales in defined geographic area. Assigned problem customers as starter accounts with credit and closure issues.
– Successful growth of business in a short time by working with new and old owners and operators, showing the value of my understanding, honesty and tenacity.
– Willingness and ability to successfully canvass and phone potential customers. I have succeeded in repairing dead accounts and penetrating existing accounts through simple relationship building with trust, excellent customer service and fair pricing.
– In addition to marketing and sales, my responsibilities include account credit collections.

After
Fein says that Janet’s main problem is her bullets never quantify any results, which is particularly problematic for a sales manager. She needs to demonstrate her success with solid numbers to back up her claims. For example, she should include what percentage she was able to grow the business, or how many new accounts she was able to successfully land.

Before
Sandra lists six different companies in chronological order on her resume. She provides three to four bullets of information for each past position.

After
“The most important selling points should be the most visible,” says Fein. “The two components of visibility are location and the allocation of space. Sandra has allocated equal space to each of her six jobs. I would recommend allocating the most space to the most recent job and very little space to jobs which, in her case, are 10 to 15 years in the past.”

Richard Fein is a nationally recognized expert in career and job search issues. He is the director of placement at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) School of Management. He is the offer of career advice books including “101 Quick Tips for a Dynamite Resume” and “95 Mistakes Jobseekers Make…and How to Avoid Them” (Impact Publications).

Six Tricks to a Clutter-Free Resume
CareerBuilder.com
In the world of job searching, bigger, flashier, more colorful and louder isn’t always better. While some people feel the need to use elaborate fonts, bright paper, or graphics and animation in hopes of getting attention, it is often wiser to take a minimalist approach to your resume.

One of the biggest reasons why simple is often safer in today’s job market is technology. Applicant tracking systems help HR managers sift through the numerous resumes they receive. This means that the first person who reads your resume may not be a person, but rather a computer, and that your paper resume will be scanned in and turned into an electronic file that is viewed by a computer system. Because it is sent through a scanner, your resume needs to be clear, concise and free from distracting characteristics. Plus, more and more companies are using online applications and requesting candidates to paste in resumes on company Web sites, or use online job sites to find candidates.

Having a simple resume is not just about scanning systems and electronic submissions. It also means carefully selecting which information to keep and which to cut. If you want to make sure your resume is clean, to the point and highlights your most important qualities in the most effective way, consider the following tips.

1. Forget the fancy fonts.
Yes, it is certainly fun to write your annual family letter in a quirky lettering. But when it comes to your resume, a boring font is always better. Stick to the classics, like Times New Roman or Arial. These fonts are typically read well by electronic scanners and most e-mail systems, as well as human eyes.

2. Don’t overdo the underlining, bolding and italics.
Some people feel like everything on their resume needs to be highlighted in one way or another. But electronic scanners get easily tripped up by underlined words and italics. It might not be possible to have your resume be completely italic free, but too much of a good thing can be distracting to any kind of reader.

3. Include old information sparingly.
Have you been out of college for more than 10 years? If so, you can probably get rid of the section on your resume that highlights your G.P.A. Are you still including all of your past jobs, which make your resume three pages long? Did you start your professional life in a completely different career, one that is now irrelevant to your current job? If so, it’s time to cut information that no longer belongs. When you first start out, there is a reason you include all of your work experience. But the more experience you gain, the more selective you can be on what to include. No, you do not need to tell potential employers that you were a bartender in college. Some jobs just don’t apply!

4. Leave out personal information.
Unless your hobbies are directly relevant to your job, they should be taken out of your resume. The same goes for travel experience, marital status or the fact that you sing in the church choir. When you write your resume, try to think like the employer and include only the information that is going to matter to the company or the position you are seeking.

5. Write in sound bites, not paragraphs.
A resume is not supposed to read like a novel. Your information should be presented in brief, concise statements that include strong action words. A resume should never be written in complete sentences or have statements that begin with “I.” A reader needs to be able to glance at your resume quickly and know what your strengths and experiences are. Don’t make him or her muddle through a lot of extraneous words to get to the good stuff.

6. Keep the look professional.
These days, printed resumes are usually needed only for an interview. Like the fun fonts, fluorescent, patterned or textured paper is better suited to invitations and personal letters than resumes. Choose professional, plain paper and black ink. Leave graphics and shading out, too. Make sure the hiring manager knows what he or she is receiving. You don’t want your resume to be thrown out because someone thought it was junk mail!

Your resume has an important job to do. It must convince an employer that you are worth talking to, that you are better than the rest and that you can do the job all in about 15 seconds. Make those 15 seconds really count with a resume that sends the right message right away!