I read it, and I get it, and I buy-in to the 20-second 'resume scan' rule. Yet, I don't FULLY buy in. What I mean is, I don't accept the implication by some that your resume only gets a 10-, 20-, 30-second sweeping glance by the hiring manager, recruiter, HR. .. AND THAT'S IT (the end of the road for your resume).
I love how GL Hoffman discusses the lean resume concept by playfully experimenting with the idea of a 6-word resume over at his blog. I enjoy these thought-provoking experiments, and I believe Twitter and other social media vehicles are teaching us to write tighter and more thoughtfully. These exercises help us all do a better job of drilling down to our unique value statements for those quick quips and exchanges we 'initially' may have with someone in our networking group or during any aspect of job courting.
As well, your resume must be glimpseable and pithy to grab the attention of the reader so he will pluck yours from the stacks of lukewarm, unfocused resumes and call you in for the interview.
However, I fear we may get so caught up into thinking our resumes must be tweet-like and ultra-lean, that we miss out on an expanded opportunity to provide content- and story-rich value, with muscle and meat!
Job seekers, and those who are presently employed but actively engaged in their career management, let's take a breath, please, and realize the value of your message, and the extended value of your words, moving from conversation to conversation and interview to interview, reinforcing and propelling your unique proposition of value.
Once it has reached the short stack, realize if written strategically and compellingly, the resume can and often WILL support your interview movement, represent your professional/executive presence and boost your momentum leading to the negotiation phases. Recently, one of my actively interviewing resume clients, expressed that value so well, saying this about his resume: "It is absolutely a great presentation and value statement, and I love how it moves from all the lower level discussions to the higher level ones so quickly."
If you honor the resume process, you will reap the return-on-time and intellectual investment deep into your interview engagements. The resume is your partner in the process of clarifying not only who you are but what you bring to the job-opportunity table. No longer a brief listing of where you were, when you were there and what you 'did,' the eloquent and compelling resume knits you intimately into the company's story fabric.
Suddenly, they gasp, "Aha, I can no longer live without this person. He is the salve for our pain, the revenue driver for our lagging sales, the inspirer for our lackadaisical team ..." (You get the drift).
Beyond that, once you're contacted for the interview, your resume can guide the interview process (yes, it will not only land the interview, it will provide fuel for the interview conversation). As well, for group interviews, your resume is passed around among interviewers; and for deeper interview processes involving senior managers, executives and board members, their first impression of you is a read-through and sometimes, thorough examination of your resume BEFORE you walk through their doors for a face-to-face interview.
Yes, you heard right, a read-through: they are actually reading through and scrutinizing your resume, judging you by your resume presence. Is it assumptive? Assuming they know your value? Tactical? Only providing the nuts and bolts of your career, but not really positioning you for their needs strategically? Is it boring? Yawn. Is it elementary in design? Again, like a pressed suit, polished shoes, coiffed hair and the tailored words that spew from your lips, your resume represents YOU at every critical stage of the interview conversation.
Article by Jacqui Barrett-Poindexter, one of only 26 Master Resume Writers (MRW) in the world, who has a B.A. in Writing and is owner of Career Trend, a career strategy and writing firm serving a global market. Jacqui composes career positioning documents that land interviews for forward-thinking executives and professionals, unearthing and translating their 'value into words.' Connect with her on LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquibarrett. Follow her on Twitter - @ValueIntoWords
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2010 at 3:33 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Are video resumes really just a "fad" or are they here to stay?
Writing resumes is tough because the days of being able to send out one-size-fits-all resumes and land entry level job interviews are long gone. Now, for a candidate to even be considered, he must tailor each resume to fit each employer. It's a lot more work, but it's worth it if it can get a candidate's foot in the door for an interview.
There are gimmicks and formatting tricks galore that experts disagree on regularly in terms of their effectiveness. The latest, and possibly most controversial, resume trend is the video resume. Some people think they're great, some think they're a mistake and some think they're a fad that will eventually go away ... like rap music.
"If a candidate is insistent on using video, I suggest doing so either in lieu of an in-person interview (if everyone else is at the same stage) or as a follow-up. They can be great, but candidates have to remember that a lot of times employers are unable to view them," said professional resume writer and chief of staff for The Grammar Doctors, Amanda Collins.
Continue reading "Don't Just Read My Resume, Watch It"
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 11, 2010 at 8:12 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Written By Jimmy Sweeney
Author of the brand new, Amazing Resume Creator
Shooting PAR on a golf course is tough! Shooting "PAR" with your resume is easy if you know the P-A-R formula. Here's a specific strategy that will impress any hiring manager and benefit you in a BIG way.
P = PROBLEM
A = ACTION
R = RESULT
When writing about your experience at your previous place of employment, state the PROBLEM you encountered, the ACTION you took to resolve the conflict, and the RESULT that occurred because of what you did. Use clear, focused wording and be brief so the hiring manager can take it in with a sweep of the eye.
Continue reading "Are You Shooting "PAR" on the Resume Course?"
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 8, 2010 at 7:04 AM | Leave a Comment (0)
Written By Jimmy Sweeney
President of CareerJimmy and Author of the new,
Amazing Cover Letter Creator
Every single day hiring managers all over the country open countless job search cover letters from people just like you who are eager to land an interview for a terrific job. And every single day hiring managers toss most of them into the shredder or the recycle bin.
WHY?
Think about it. You can distinguish yourself by starting out your cover letter with an eye-catching headline that will move yours to the pile marked, "Take another look."
In order to do that, consider creating a smashing title or headline that turns the hiring manager's head and compels him or her to read all the way through from the first line to the last.
Continue reading "Does Your Cover Letter Contain a "HEADLINE?""
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 5, 2010 at 4:56 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
When you're in college, it can feel like the entire world is contained within the grounds of your campus. There's so much going on in your personal and academic life that it's easy to forget that, before long, you'll be dropped into the real world and forced to find gainful employment. When I was a college student, it wasn't until the end of my senior year that I really began focusing on the job hunt, and that's a bit too late to start, especially if you're unfamiliar with some of the tools you'll need after graduation. For instance, every student knows they'll need to put together a resume, but very few know how to go about it with any real clarity. With that in mind, here are a few things for undergrads to consider when it comes to building the resume that will take them into the workforce:
Start planning now
It's never too early to examine your present experiences through the lens of the future and consider how they'll look on a resume. There are a ton of college students who hit the job market with no experience to show but a couple summers clearing tables or tearing movie tickets. And while those experiences were fine in their time, you need to think about doing things that will provide opportunities down the road. Apply for internships in your field, and look for summer jobs that can teach you skills related to your major. When it comes time to graduate and look for a real job, you'll be able to present your potential employer with a resume demonstrating relevant experience in the market. Your resume is your lifeline and the best tool at your disposal when it comes to getting the attention of an employer. Make sure it counts.
Cut the double-talk
A lot of college students, wary of appearing inexperienced, trump up their accomplishments with puffy language. This is the job-hunt equivalent of using 13-point Arial typeface on a term paper with 1.5-inch margins: It's not fooling anyone. Don't say you were a "domestic distribution engineer" if you delivered the school newspaper. Be honest about your skills and experience; otherwise, you're just wasting your time. When a hiring manager wants to talk to you, they want to know about actual results and experiences, not stuff that's been dressed up to look better. The more honest you are, the better shot you have at connecting with an employer.
Just the facts
It's also a habit of college students to list things they think are relevant to the job search on their resume in order to make it appear more substantial. But you should only list things that are specifically related to your skills and the job field you're in. Employers know that fresh college graduates are going to have less experience than older workers, and that's fine. Don't try to make up for it by mentioning your place on the swim team. If you want to list skills or accolades, make them tailored to the job. For instance, if you're looking for work in the news media, mention your familiarity with the Associated Press stylebook and any editing or news production software you may have used. If you're a business student, highlight any internships with local companies or any honors you've received in the field. List your GPA (if you're proud of it), but stay away from nebulous topics like "relevant coursework." Your employer knows you took classes; they want you to go beyond that now.
That list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a great place to start. College is a wonderful time, but don't let that joy distract you from some simple techniques and preparations that will help you after you've walked the graduation stage.
This guest post is contributed by Katheryn Rivas, who writes on the topics of online universities . She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katherynrivas87@gmail.com .
Article courtesy of Liz Handlin and courtesy of Ultimate Resumes
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 3, 2010 at 5:56 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Entrepreneur's Bill of Rights
Lara Druyan, General Partner, Allegis Capital
I was recently on a panel for SVASE in which I was asked what advice I had for entrepreneurs raising money. This question arises pretty regularly. So, I thought I would take a stab at memorializing some of these thoughts.
Raising money, especially in the current environment, is hard. However, entrepreneurs have power in the process. Hopefully, you have a choice from whom you raise money. Sometimes that isn't the case, and you take money from whomever is willing to invest. If you do have a choice, or even if you don't, you should know from whom you are taking money. This sounds obvious, but many entrepreneurs don't know much about either the firm (if a venture fund is involved) or the partner at that firm (often more important than the firm itself).
Continue reading "Entrepreneur's Bill of Rights"
Posted by Candice Arnold on March 1, 2010 at 4:59 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
Joy was palpable as the oversized airplane plane descended onto the tiny tropical landing strip. The pilot forcefully applied brake pressure, wings wobbled and dear, flying-averse hubby squeezed his fingers tightly into my arm as the plane safely landed. Applause erupted and a plane-FULL of passengers, many of whose travel had been delayed several days due to winter storms, were elated to finally embark on their Key West adventure.
This spirited introduction belies the full story of our Winter 2010 vacation get-away, as just two days into the long-awaited event (we'd been planning this trip for 6 months), I fell sick with a wicked, and somewhat debilitating cold virus that I still battle today.
As with most who experience life's unexpectedly altered plans, my hubby and I first expressed upset and disappointment, then adjusted, simply, 'dealing' with the reality of my less than 100% involvement in our dream vacation -- the first either of us had planned in over a decade.
Continue reading "Restoring Your Joy in Job Search"
Posted by Candice Arnold on February 25, 2010 at 3:46 PM | Leave a Comment (0)
