Post on 06-Jul-2020
Writing To Get Noticed.
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The Essential Career Advancement Series
Writing
How to Create a Successful
Modern Resume
Lezlie Garr, CPRW
To Get
Noticed
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Written By:
Lezlie Garr, CPRW Founder, Professional Progressions Consulting
LGarr@ProfessionalProgressions.com
Andy Shears
Managing Partner, PPC
Andy@ProfessionalProgressions.com
Materials Prepared in Collaboration with:
Yellow Brick Path Career Management & Consulting
yellowbrickpath.com
Social Profile Masters socialprofilemasters.com
Some images designed by Freepik and distributed by Flaticon
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© 2016 Professional Progressions Consulting. All rights reserved.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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CONTENTS
4 Boost Your Resume’s Effectiveness
10 5 Common (and Fatal) Resume Mistakes
17 Why Functional Resumes No Longer Work
22 How to Stand Out from the Stack
28 5 Quick - But Crucial - Resume Tips
32 Is a Cover Letter Really Necessary?
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Boost Your Resume’s Effectiveness
To say that the job market is inundated with candidates would be an understatement.
According to Martin Buckland, about 427,000 resumes are posted each week - just on Monster.
With that many people out there, you may be wondering how a job applicant can ever hope to
set themselves apart.
Good news!
It’s not as difficult as it seems – you just have to know
how to do it! I’ve compiled a few tips to help you
navigate your way through the resume and application
process, so that your resume makes it through “The
System” and actually into the hands of an interested
hiring manager.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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The truth is, the answer will be different depending on your experience and what you are
trying to accomplish. However, there are a few useful things to keep in mind to help you
figure it out for yourself.
If the information is relevant to the job you are trying to get, then it should be included (put
most relevant info in the top 1/3 of the page). This means that recent graduates and entry-level
professionals will most likely have a shorter resume than mid-levels and executives.
But, if you have relevant experience that warrants a second page – so be it!
Keep it at 2 pages.
Some professionals may need more, but most will not.
1. Appropriate Length
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Somewhere in the opening section of your resume, you will need to state your intentions.
While I often employ a “Professional Profile” and a “Skills” section to accomplish this, I also
use specific titles or descriptions in bold print to draw the attention of the reader.
This can be something as simple as
“Sales and Marketing Manager”, or it can be more
specific if you specialize in something or want to
target a specific position. The important thing is that
you make it visible right up front, so the reader
doesn’t have to work too hard to understand the
purpose of the resume.
2. Position Statement
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The same article from Martin Buckland (above) states that only 35% of applicants are actually
qualified for the jobs they apply to.
While it is understandable that a desperate job seeker would send their resume to just about
any open position they could find, doing that is a waste of time – yours and the employer’s.
It’s much better to dedicate that time to finding positions for which your experience and skills
truly are a match. Of course, once you find those, you also want to make sure that you have a…
3. Experience Match
Writing To Get Noticed.
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4. Keyword Match
Taking the experience match to the next level, you can make slight adjustments to your
resume as necessary to better match a job description. I’m not suggesting that you do this for
every position, but if you really want the job, it may be worth it! Many career fields may have
common jargon and lingo, but each job listing will be unique.
Carefully examine the job listing and compare it to your resume.
If there is a word or phrase you can swap out to make your resume more closely match what
the job description says, do it! But, be careful not to copy and paste the entire job listing (or
even parts of it!) into your resume. The Applicant Track Systems (ATS) are sophisticated enough
to notice, and they will discard your resume.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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5. Quantifiable Accomplishments
This is something that really sets apart promising applicants from the mediocre ones.
Describe how you did your job: how well you did it, the environment you worked in, how
well you worked with coworkers, managers, clients, and/or customers.
One great way to illustrate your accomplishments is to give numbers or
percentages, or otherwise indicate improvements.
This could be “increased sales by 12% in a 3 month period”,
“decreased expenses”, “implemented a new process
which did _________”, etc.
Anything to show that not only did you
show up and do your job, but you were
good at it and you made a positive impact
on your employer.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Five Common, and Fatal, Resume Mistakes
I recently attended an online training to gain a better understanding of Applicant Tracking
Systems (ATS) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Did you know that there are roughly 193 different types of Applicant Tracking Systems?
AND
75% of qualified job applicants are
REJECTED
by ATS due to spurious reasons like
INCORRECT RESUME FORMATTING.
(Source: Capterra Talent Management Blog)
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In case you’re unfamiliar, an Applicant Tracking System is a software application that enables
the electronic handling of recruitment needs. This means that much of the applicant sorting and
selection process is now automated by software applications, programmed to select only
resumes which meet specified parameters.
While Applicant Tracking Systems are rapidly getting smarter and more user-friendly, there are
still certain – seemingly minor – mistakes that will land you in resume purgatory faster than you
can say, “I hate ATS!”
What follows is by no means a comprehensive list of “Resume Don’t”-s, but avoiding these items
will help you to ensure that your otherwise well-written resume doesn’t get lost in the dark
abyss of ATS Hell.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Do Not: Put Contact Info in the Header
While this may seem like a sly way to fit more vital information into the already limited space
in your resume, the ATS generally can’t/don’t read any text that is written in the header/footer
of a document. So if you include your contact information in this section, the ATS will never see
it, and it will throw out your resume.
Now, this isn’t to say that I never use the header space at all, because I do. I utilize it on page 2
of a resume to reiterate the name and to indicate “page 2 of 2”. However, these are included
not for the sake of the ATS. They are included for the sake of the reader, once the resume has
successfully made it through the ATS.
1.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Do Not: Use the Word “OBJECTIVE” as your Heading
This practice has become outdated. An Objective conveys what you, the candidate, are looking
for, but a hiring manager doesn’t care much about what you want until they know what
you have to offer.
That is why I utilize a “Professional Profile”, instead. This section is comprised of 3-5 sentences
describing your strongest skills, a general overview of your accomplishments, and how you can
contribute to company success.
2.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Do Not: Use First-Person Pronouns
Note: Though this tip doesn't pertain directly to Applicant Tracking Systems, it is a fairly common
mistake, and it plays a big role in resume success.
Pronouns (I, Me, My) should never be used in your resume. While some trends in resumes fade
over time (like the ‘Objective’), the use of first-person pronouns has always been a Resume
Don’t.
In writing content for your resume, it is generally accepted that the “I” is understood, meaning
that it is omitted. However, it is still you doing the “talking”, so you want to use first-person
tense, and not third-person.
EXAMPLE:
“Manage a team of 10” “Manages a team of 10”
3.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Do Not: List Dates First
Back to the topic of Applicant Tracking Systems – formatting is VERY important. For example, I
see resumes all the time that list the employment positions with the dates listed first, on the
left-hand side, like this:
1/2014 – Present Employer Name Position Title
Listing the dates first often goes against the way the ATS are programmed. As a best practice,
each position you list should lead with the employer name (or position title), followed by the
employment dates flush with the right margin, like this:
Employer Name 1/2014 – Present Position Title
4.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Do Not: Focus on Duties over Accomplishments
This is perhaps the most common mistake I see amongst otherwise well-written resumes. These
days, it is not enough to simply list the duties and responsibilities of the position you held. Hiring
managers want to see your contributions – they want to see how you made a difference.
Using dollar amounts and percentages is a great way to illustrate your success in current and
previous positions – and the Applicant Tracking Systems are often set to search them out.
Being able to (honestly) state that you, “Increased sales by 20%” rather
than just stating that you were, “Responsible for account management
and sales”, makes a big difference.
That’s how you set yourself apart from the competition!
5.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Why Functional Resumes No Longer Work
Today’s Job Market is TOUGH! For many job seekers, it can be quite intimidating to put your
resume out there amongst the plethora of other qualified candidates.
Especially, for those who have a job history that is less than perfect, including employment gaps
or “job hopping” – moving from one job to the next without staying anywhere for more than a
year or two.
The Founder & CEO of Jobscan, an online resume and job search resource that uses applicant
screening software to scan resumes and provide feedback to clients, sums up pretty perfectly
why functional resumes don’t function (pun intended) very well with recruiters and hiring
managers.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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“Why do recruiters and hiring managers hate the functional resume format?
It’s a fair question, and to understand the answer, you really have to understand
how recruiters and hiring managers work.
Hiring is fast and furious.
…Recruiters spend their days sourcing, screening, hand-holding and following up
with candidates for multiple roles at any given time.
In other words, they don’t have time to read between the lines, dig for
information, or follow up with questions if you don’t make the information they
need crystal clear.”
- James Hu, 4 Surprising Reasons You Should Avoid a Functional Resume
Writing To Get Noticed.
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With Applicant Tracking Systems in wide use and some many different candidates applying for
the same positions, what can you do to ensure that your resume won’t get thrown into the
trash?
Many professionals with issues in their employment background believe they would be better
served by a functional resume, as opposed to the more common chronological resume.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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A Chronological Resume is one which presents all of a candidate’s previous employment
experience in reverse chronological order (starting with the current (or most recent) position,
then the one before that, and so on).
A Functional Resume focuses more on a candidate’s skills, experience, and achievements,
and de-emphasizes the dates for each specific position. While this may seem like the best way
to go for candidates with employment issues – that is actually no longer the case.
A decade or more ago, functional resumes were used as a way to mask weaknesses in a
candidate, such as employment gaps, job hopping, or lack of experience.
These days, however, recruiters and hiring managers know better. The truth is, when a recruiter
sees a functional resume, the immediately start looking for potential issues.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Functional resume formats often indicate
that there is something wrong with the candidate,
which can overshadow their true strengths and skills.
For a complicated career history, your best bet is going to be to utilize a combination of the
two formats. Use the top 1/3 of your resume to emphasize the skills/experience that are most
relevant to the position, but still present your employment chronologically.
In this case, make sure to showcase your achievements and contributions throughout the
resume, in order to overshadow any negative pieces of your job history.
Once you get into the interview, it will be your job to speak confidently on why you are seeking
that particular position, and how your skills and experience contribute to you being the right
candidate for the position.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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How to Stand Out from the Stack:
The Importance of Soft Skills
Are you qualified for the job? Great! But, almost everyone else in that stack is too. Let’s discuss
what interviewers are really interested in: your ability to work well with those around you.
This ability to peacefully interact with your fellow human beings is a valuable one. A recent poll
conducted by The Wall Street Journal found that 92% of executives valued Soft Skills greater or
equal to Technical (Hard) Skills, and 89% reported that they have a difficult time finding
candidates with these valued traits.
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People Skills + Social Skills + Personal Career Skills = SOFT SKILLS
People Skills, or how you interact with people, are attributes like listening, communicating,
empathizing, and collaborating. Whether you like human interaction or not, being friendly,
polite, respectful, patient, and having an appropriate (professional/PG-rated) sense of humor
are extremely valuable professional currency.
“An ounce of people sensitivity is worth a pound of cure when it comes to
daily human interaction and mitigating conflict. By developing these skills,
you’ll reduce bad behavior in the office, and your positive approach will
be contagious. Wise managers know that they need a team with strong
people skills.” - Lynn Taylor, national workplace expert and author
People Skills Checklist
Strong Communication | Patience | Active Listening | Flexibility | Emotional Intelligence
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Social Skills, or how you handle interactions, are things like word choice & tone, body language
& gestures, professional poise & appearance, and your ability to manage conflict. How you
respond to social situations, both verbally and non-verbally, should not be a surprise to you.
Make sure you are capable of using your thought-to-speech filter as well as controlling your
facial expressions and body posture. Watch out for the accidental eye roll, slumping shoulders,
and creating barriers, like crossing your arms.
Also, your appearance matters; handle your hygiene and dress well. Finally, being able to diffuse
conflict is extremely valuable. Be the water, not the fire.
Social Skills Checklist
Cooperative | Respectful | Positive | Professional Demeanor | Negotiation skills
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Personal Career Skills, or how you manage yourself, are traits like confidence, discipline, and
time-management. These are probably the most common Soft Skills found on job postings.
Use the information found on the posting to focus your strengths toward what the employer is
looking for.
Also, be aware of your weaknesses in this regard. Do not mislead a potential employer about
your skills, or it could result in negative consequences.
If you are weak in a particular area, you can always use this in an interview as an area of future
improvement.
Knowing your weaknesses can show employers that you’ve spent time reflecting on your
professional growth, and can lead you to have more confidence.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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“Many interviewers ask the weakness question — in all industries, at all
levels. They ask it because they want to get a sense of the real you. They
know that every candidate comes with strengths and weaknesses and
they want to know yours.”
-Pamela Skillings, HOW TO ANSWER: What are your weaknesses?
Personal Skills Checklist
Responsible | Calm under Stress | Able to Give/Receive Criticism | Confident | Self-motivated
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With any and all of your skills, make sure you can back them up. Have appropriate stories and
examples regarding specific skills, especially ones mentioned in the job posting.
Your ego should be left out of it; employers like to hear ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, ‘me’, and ‘my.’ This
shows you are more of a team player, and solidifies your competence in social interaction.
Soft Skills are all too often neglected by job seekers and training departments alike, but they
are essential to your career success. Focus on your strengths, actively work to improve your
weaknesses, and be prepared with evidence for both.
Use Soft Skills as your competitive edge against the stack of other qualified resumes that only
state, ‘I am qualified for the job.’
Writing To Get Noticed.
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1.
5 Quick – But Crucial - Resume Tips
We see A LOT of the same issues across Resumes we review every day. Here are 5 of our most
common concerns, that are easy to fix right now:
Two Pages are OKAY. If you're trying to squeeze everything onto one page, you're losing valuable real estate that
could be used to add more, important content. As competitive as the job market is today, you
need to be squeezing as much as you can without cluttering.
Everything still needs to flow, and the important details need to be highlighted, but now you
have more space! We don't recommend exceeding 2 pages unless you're a high level Executive,
Academic, or Medical professional, in which case we usually recommend a CV.
Stick to one page if you are a recent grad with a short amount of work history.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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2.
3.
The Margins.
With our Resumes, we use 0.8 margins all around. Any larger and you lose valuable real estate.
Any smaller and the text appears overwhelming. White space needs to be utilized to create
clarity and flow.
The Information After Your Contact Info...
...should not be titled, "Objective." This is an old way of stating what You want from a position.
Unfortunately, employers are only interested in what You can do for Them. Title this section,
"Professional Profile" or "Professional Summary", and use the space to write 2-3 sentences that
highlight what you're capable of producing.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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4.
Skills
After your Profile, highlight 8-12 of your most valuable skills. This will create space between
your Contact, Profile, and Skills, which allows whomever is looking to find your relevant details
quickly and effectively. We use the vertical line separator between each skill for a clean,
professional look.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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5.
Accomplishments/Achievements
Think about anything you've contributed in your current/previous positions in the form of
percentages, awards, or other quantifiable data.
List these accomplishments under each position, to keep them in context. We see Resumes that
separate all achievements into one section; however, without relating to when/where they
were accomplished, the hiring manager loses context, and your accolades lose value.
BONUS TIP Format your own Resume. Avoid using a template, or hiring a service that uses templates.
Writing To Get Noticed.
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Is a Cover Letter Really Necessary?
(Spoiler alert: yes.)
Success with your job search isn’t solely dependent upon the content of your resume and
answers to questions in an interview.
The secret of success lies in the subconscious messages you send throughout the process, and
the cover letter is part of that process to success.
“While writing cover letters is time-consuming, the consensus is that the
effort could give you an edge and help you land more interviews.”
- Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert
Here are some important messages you’re sending in a carefully crafted cover letter:
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• You know where you’re applying. Use the Company name, and check to make
sure you’re using the correct name (especially if you have a template used for multiple
submissions.)
• You are serious about the position. Writing a cover letter shows, first and
foremost, that you care enough about the position to write one.
• You may be connected. According to the 2015 Jobvite Recruiter Nation Survey,
78% of recruiters find their best quality hires through referrals. The cover letter is the
best place to mention such a connection!
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• You are passionate about the Job. Resumes don’t allow much room for
expressing personality or passion, but cover letters are the perfect place to include the
“human element” that hiring managers respond to.
• You understand the importance of the process. The cover letter is a formal
part of the candidate portfolio, and including it shows that you understand and respect
the full process.
• You go the extra mile. Add a few details about your best achievements and
accomplishments; expand on the ones mentioned in your Resume.
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I would highly recommend her services. You won’t be disappointed.”
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