Resume construction
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Transcript of Resume construction
Resume submittal: an arduous journey
3 major obstacles to success
Obstacle 1: Electronic submittal
Resumes must contain the language (Keywords) that computer software and staffing personnel are likely to input.
Otherwise your resume will sit in a black hole and may never be seen
Best guess on keywords:Resume language matches job descriptions
Keyword mastery
Best: Keywords within recent accomplishments (you produce good results for your company using skills that are in demand!)
Better: Keywords in current chronology (your job description says you were responsible for using these skills recently; not that you produced results using them)
Good: Keywords anywhere in the resume (beware ! New technology is catching up to out-of-context ploys)
Obstacle 2: Staffing Personnel: the guardians of decision-makers’ time
To gain a recruiter’s support, set yourself apart: show how you achieve results better or differently than competitors
Recent and relevant usage of critical skills
Demonstrated, measurable and recognized impact on previous employers
Promotions and progression to current level
To advance, Recruiters need to see:
Clear focus on a targeted functional position and level
Frequent Unexplained Gaps in Chronology. Unemployed in tough market is one thing…every few years is something else
Typographical or grammar errors = careless and lazy
“Consultant” without engagements = unemployed in stealth mode
Lack of balance, thin recent accomplishment with TONS of old glory = yesterday’s news
Accomplishments out of scale = overqualified! Managing a $50M budget ≠ startups
Recruiters Hate
Obstacle 3: the Hiring Decision-Maker
Impact + Presentation
Demonstrating Appropriate ImpactImprove SalesIncrease market shareImprove qualityImprove productivityIncrease profitReduce expenseReduce turnoverExpand/add territoryLaunch / build/ develop productImprove complianceReduce liability / risk
Differentiation: be qualified, but different (and better!)
Indicators of a bad resumeOverall presentation:
• Typos, grammar errors, inconsistent fonts, small / unreadable font
• Functional or non-traditional formats (like pulling all the accomplishments out of the chronology)
• The language in the resume (key words and industry jargon) is misaligned with or missing from the document
• More than 15 years of work history / dates that go back further (with some exceptions, of course)
• Subjugating work history behind anything other than a summary statement (except for those coming right out of school and leveraging that new degree)
Indicators of a bad resumeTop section (objective / summary area):
• Objective statements (they are passé)
• Generic language and format
• Focus on task and not impact to employer
Indicators of a bad resumeJob chronology section:
• No bullets or all bullets
• No accomplishments
• Quantifiers that are inconsistent with target roles
• Accomplishments without context (5% increase in sales might be great following 5 years at 2%)
• Language used dates the skill set (FORTRAN/Personnel Manager)
• Emphasis on the wrong skills (manager vs. hands-on, technical vs. management)
Indicators of a bad resume
Misc Other categories:• Awards without context
• No college (very few people have NONE)
• More space devoted to old jobs than more recent
• Self-employed consultants without specific client engagements
• Irrelevant, short term jobs
• Results without aligned action steps
• Missing demonstrations of employer appreciation (rehired, recruited away from competitor, earned award, promotion, awarded additional responsibility)
Well-written resumes help computers and staffing personnel identify the best candidates, present content in a way to drive superior interviews, and pave the way for larger offers