Ask Yourself, Does My Resume Answer These Key Questions?

Posted by ResumeHelp on May 20, 2009

A majority of people make the same mistake when it comes time to write their  resume. Most forget to develop their resume from the employer’s point of view, an absolute must if you want that interview.

Within seconds of glancing at your resume they want to know several things about you. Your job is to make it “plain as your face” obvious who you are, what job you’re seeking and what you have to offer them.

When sifting through resumes, most employers and recruiters know exactly what they’re looking for. Resumes that meet their expectations are ones that respond to all of the following questions:

• Who are you? To determine how well your resume addresses this, we suggest having friends or colleagues read it. Give them about ten seconds then snatch it back from them and ask them what they know about you as a job seeker. If they can’t give you a quick answer that truly describes you, your resumes summary needs to go back to the drawing board.

• What can you do for me? The most effective way to show employers the value you offer is to show them how you’ve contributed to another employer’s success. This summary must be specific and compelling or you will be perceived as having made the facts up. You must be specific with the facts that cite numbers and other details.

• Do you have the skills I’m looking for? Scan job ads and job descriptions to determine which skills seem the most relevant to the employers and recruiters receiving your resume. The same thing applies as when you do web page entries. In that case it is keywords, same application here. Strategically place them throughout your resume to ensure it makes it past computer scans and into the hands of employers and recruiters.

• Previous employers? This one should be simple. Employers want to know where you worked, for how long and what you did.

• Is your experience relevant to my needs? Sometimes it’s necessary to stress a job title or job description. Don’t exaggerate, be truthful but truly demonstrate that you have the experience for the job you’re applying for.

• Do you have the right education and credentials for the job you are applying for? Do you have the education, credentials and training needed to qualify for the job, if so don’t be bashful, be sure to say so! Important: Use commonly accepted terminology and keywords in this section to ensure your information isn’t overlooked by employers or resume scanners.

If you need help writing your resume we suggest that you make an investment in a professional resume writer. You say, “I can’t afford that”! Let me ask you – can you afford to be unemployed? Or maybe worse yet you may be forced to take a reduction in wages because the only job you could find was a step down.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Check one of our professional resume writers out. I think you will be very happy with this decision.

4 Things Your Resume Shouldn’t Be Without By Joe Turner, Career Coach

Posted by ResumeHelp on May 15, 2009

The job market is tough and it’s getting tougher.  Your resume is your # 1 marketing tool and it may not be doing its job — getting you an interview.

One reason may be a lack of time.  With the increased competition for jobs and more applicants, employers don’t spend a lot of time reading any one resume.  It’s been estimated that today’s resume is getting only about 20 seconds of “eyeball time.”  That’s not much time to score.  In fact, most applications will get quickly screened out and dumped on the reject pile.

Most resumes today lack a sense of urgency.  They don’t answer the all-important question: “What’s in it for the employer?”

Here are four things you need power up your resume for today’s more competitive job search arena to overcome these dilemmas:

1. Focused objective
Does your resume have a clear, focused objective?  Does it identify one clear job title that you are seeking?  Remember, it’s not about you.

Try this: Under the objective heading, lead off with a clear phrase indicating the job title you are seeking.  For example, write “Chief Financial Officer” — nothing more is needed.

2. Keyword section

Everyone pays lip service to this, but few act on it.  If you don’t, you’re missing the boat in two major ways:

Your resume needs to get flagged by a computer.  To strengthen your odds, you need every potential keyword working for you.  And not just your skill sets, either.  Make sure to add all your industry buzzwords as well as your biggest soft skills.  Did you know that some of the highest searched keywords today include terms we often overlook?  These include “problem-solving,” “leadership” and “oral and written communication.”

You must appeal to the person who reads your resume. A reader will scan a great keyword summary section within the first 20 seconds of looking at your resume. When added to your personal branding statement below, you increase your chances of hooking this reader and getting a closer look.

3. Personal branding statement
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a CFO, a software project manager or a wedding photographer.  Answer this question: “What is it that makes you unique, compared with other applicants?”

Lots of other candidates have skills the same as or better than you.  The solution is to create a brand for yourself.

So how do you create your own brand? Review your resume.  Does it have a clear statement that describes who you are and what you offer?  This is called a “branding statement” and may be described as a “value added” or “unique selling proposition.”

A true branding statement is a one-sentence description of who you are and what critical benefit you offer your next employer.  It should describe your biggest strength and the resulting benefit to your previous employer.

The best branding statements usually incorporate figures in dollars or percentages of money, or time that was gained or saved over a certain period of time.  Here is an example for that CFO:

“Seasoned Chief Financial Officer strong in optimizing organizations to achieve maximum growth and market share who has produced new revenues or savings of more than $65 million for my employers over the past eight years.”

Does your resume have a branding statement this strong? If not, think about adding one. It will take some time to develop your ideal statement.  Once done, however, you will break that 20-second barrier and move that much farther ahead of your competitors.

4. Specific achievements
Companies hire employees to be an asset to their balance sheets.  That means your work should involve helping a company either make money or save money. Think beyond your skill sets and job duties and find as many ways as you can that you accomplish this.

For example, suppose you’re a videographer who tapes weddings and special events and edits them for clients.  You take the extra step of performing all of your post-production work before submitting your results. Your extra effort has saved your employer several hundred hours of additional work.

This translates into dollars saved by the employer and it’s just this sort of achievement that must be on your résumé. When it’s possible, put a dollar value on your achievements.  Our photographer example might look like this:

“Saved my employer more than $6K in additional labor costs over the past two years by performing post-production work before submitting my final results.”

By including several specific achievements where you’ve helped your employer make or save money, you separate yourself from your competitors and quickly gain the attention of your reader.

As a recruiter, Joe Turner has spent the past 15 years finding and placing top candidates in some of the best jobs of their careers.  Author of “Job Search Secrets Unlocked” and “Paycheck 911,” Joe has interviewed on radio talk shows and offers free insider job search secrets at: http://www.jobchangesecrets.com.

Copyright 2008 Joe Turner All rights reserved. Used by permission

Re-invent Yourself : 7 Steps to Becoming a New You!

Posted by ResumeHelp on May 14, 2009

In these trying times no matter what a person may do, no door will open to find employment in the field they have been trained in. So what’s a person to do? Many people decide to be proactive and take the proverbial bull by the horns and go another route. It’s called re-inventing yourself. It can be done, many, many people are doing it every day. The following article will give you some new ideas. Please read on…

Do you like your life the way it is? Would you like to change some, or all of it? Well, here’s good news: You can be whatever you want to be. You can re-invent yourself. I know because I did!

You may have a whole lifetime to undo or re-invent, but if you are determined, and ready to put in the effort, anything is possible. You can have a new you!

Here are 7 steps to a new, improved, re-invented you!

1) Make two detailed lists comprising: (a) all the things you like about yourself and want to keep, (b) all the things you don’t like about yourself and want to change. Examine both lists and ask yourself why you like what you like, and why you want to change what you want to change. Write out your answers as two separate statements. Keep these statements where you can see, and read them everyday.

2) Work on your “Want-to-Keep” list everyday. Keep on doing what you’ve been doing, and you’ll keep on getting what you’ve been getting! Also, work on your “Want-to-Change” list everyday, but in a different way. Take each item on this second list and re-state it as a goal. Remember your goals must be Specific (clear and unambiguous), Measurable (a specific weight, time, sum of money etc), Attainable (within your stated time frame and resources), Realistic (in your eyes) and Tangible (something you can perceive with your senses, not “imagine” with your mind!)

3) From your “Want-to-Change” list, identify your 3 most important goals, the ones that will make the most impact on your life, and bring about the new you. Write out a day-by-day, step-by-step plan for attaining each of these goals.

4) Identify possible pitfalls or obstacles to your plan. Set up contingency plans to circumvent these hurdles. Do not stop at them. No one can stop you from reaching those goals but you.

5) Take action on your plan. Work those goals! Even a small step on your plan each day will move you closer to the new you! If you fall behind, or fall out altogether, just think of the lovely new life you stand to gain if you would just try. Imagine what it would look and feel like to be the new you. Know in your heart that it is possible, but it is also up to you. You owe it to yourself to get back up and on with the program. Only time, patience and action separate you from your goal.

6) Reward yourself for progress. Forgive yourself for slip-ups. Then move on. No time for Pity Parties!

7) Stay motivated. Think on your reasons for wanting to make the change. Visualize the outcome of your goals, vividly. Hang out with people who encourage you to keep at it. Stay away from negative people, at least till you “get there!” Read motivational books, employ a coach to help you stay on track. Enlist a supportive friend, to rejoice with you at each success, and encourage you at each challenge.

That’s it! Re-inventing yourself will never be easy. You are going against patterns that may have been established for years. It will take determination, effort and patience, but it is possible, and ultimately rewarding.

I went through a process of re-invention a few years ago. I went from an overweight, unhealthy, plain-dressed, unfulfilled, job-holder, to a slim, trim, healthy, trendy, self-employed, fulfilled entrepreneur. Instead of holding a job, I now do my life’s work. I am working my own goals, and getting the results I desire. I am still not all that I want to be. But I am closer to my goals than to my starting point. No one will ever be “picture-perfect” in this life. But “fulfilled and satisfied” is the name of the game for me! And I sure am glad I had the courage to try.

People and circumstances will oppose you, saying, “It isn’t possible”, or, “Why can’t you just be satisfied with what you’ve got?” (The answer to that is, “Because I’m no ordinary person!”) But if you think your dreams are worth the effort, and you are willing to do what it takes, you can have whatever you want.

Dreams still do come true. And you don’t require a fairy god-mother! Setting and working your goals is how it works in the real world. So be bold, take action and enjoy the new you!

Copyright 2005 Oma Edoja