Resume Help Blog

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In case you missed last Monday’s headlines, the announcement by the National Bureau of Economic Research made it official: we’re in a recession. I doubt many folks were shocked by this grim news, as it only reinforces what most Americans already knew – times are tough and belts are tightening.

Layoffs are an unfortunate by-product of economic recessions, but if you take steps now to recession-proof your resume, you won’t be caught unprepared if you find yourself downsized. Here’s how:

Emphasize Ways You Have Boosted The Bottom Line For Your Employers

Now more than ever, employers will be trying to preserve profits and pinch pennies. Use your resume to prove your talents in this area and you’re bound to leave a favorable impression. This might include contributions you have made (either independently or as a member of a team) to cost-cutting measures, revenue-generating efforts, customer acquisition/retention initiatives, or productivity/efficiency increases. Wherever possible, quantify these achievements with numbers for maximum impact and credibility. Here are a few examples using dollars, percentages, and before/after comparisons:

• Saved company $5K annually by transferring print newsletter to online format.
• Minimized costly rework on widget product line to increase profit margin by 15% (equivalent to $2.8M in annual revenue gains).
• Served on continuous improvement taskforce that cut store excess inventory in half  to deliver annual bottom-line gains of $17K+.

Showcase Examples Of Resourcefulness

Employers value candidates with a proven history of innovative thinking. In other words – the ability to do more with less. But these skills become even more sought after during tough economic times.

A friend of mine who’s in the HR field calls this the “what if…” factor. She says that even when limits are placed on hiring, she’s always on the lookout for people who excel in asking “what if?” questions. As in, “What if we did it this way instead of that way?”

Think about ways that you stepped outside the box to add value to customers without increasing costs to your employer. Or instances when you came up with a unique solution or creative idea that improved processes or increased efficiency. Or examples of how you have adopted a “use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without” philosophy in performing your duties. Showcase a few of your best “resourceful hero” stories on your resume and you will definitely be noticed!

Highlight Versatility, Flexibility, And Adaptability To Change

Have you assumed expanded responsibilities beyond the scope of your initial job duties? Are you handling tasks that previously were performed by two or more employees? Have you led or participated in successful turnaround or change-management initiatives? Individuals who can demonstrate their abilities to help employers survive – and even thrive – during tough times are sure to be a hot commodity now and in the months ahead. Include a few key details of your strengths in these areas in your opening profile summary at the top of your resume, and/or add a few bulleted accomplishments relating to change-agent leadership and adaptability in the “Experience” section of your resume.

Start A “Kudos” File

If you don’t already keep copies of your performance reviews and letters of appreciation, client thank-yous, or congratulatory emails you receive, start now. This provides excellent fodder for your resume. You can include quoted excerpts right on your resume, either in a separate “Endorsements” section or sprinkled throughout the resume.

Keep Your Resume And Online Profile Updated

If you’re worried about your job security due to the uncertainty of the current economy, your best strategy is to keep your resume updated. The same goes for online profiles you may have on sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, or FolioClick.

Most people, no matter what job they seek or how long they’ve been part of the working world, make the same mistake when it comes to the resume writing process. They forget – or simply don’t know how – to develop their resume from the employer’s point of view.

“Employers want to know several things about you within seconds of glancing at your resume. Your job, then, is to be hit-them-over-the-head obvious about who you are, what job you’re seeking and what you have to offer them,” says Louise Kursmark, a certified professional resume writer and author of “30-Minute Resume Makeover.”

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 the following questions:

Who Are You?

To determine how well your resume addresses this, Kursmark suggests having friends or colleagues read it. Within five seconds of them looking at the resume, snatch it back from them and quiz them on what they know about you as a job seeker based on what they read. If they can’t offer a quick answer that truly describes you, your resumes summary needs some work.

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 an employer’s success elsewhere. These examples must be specific, measurable accomplishments that cite numbers and other details. For instance, did you create a report that tracked results, or saved the company work and time? Did you find a way to save them money by taking on a responsibility?

Do You Have The Skills I’m Looking For?

Scan job ads and job descriptions to discover which skills are most relevant to the employers and recruiters receiving your resume. Then strategically place them throughout your resume to ensure it makes it past computer scans and into the hands of employers and recruiters. If they say you need to have customer service skills then describe your previous position in such a way that it highlights that. If they want you to know a certain computer program then describe how you used it at your last job.

Where Have You Worked Before?

This one should be simple. Employers want to know where you worked, for how long and which job titles you’ve held that may indicate how prepared you are for a role at their organization.

Is Your Experience Relevant To My Needs?

Sometimes it’s necessary to expand upon a job title or job description to truly demonstrate that you have experience that applies to the job you’re seeking. Consider using bullets to present brief and interesting information that is relevant to the employer.

Do You Have The Right Education And Credentials?

If you have the education, credentials and training needed to qualify for the job, be sure to say so! Use commonly accepted terminology and keywords in this section to ensure your information isn’t misinterpreted or overlooked by employers or resume scanners.

Do I See Any “Red Flags” In Your Background?

Gaps in employment (an indication of job hopping), spending too much time in the same job or resume errors may alert employers and recruiters that you are not the type of candidate they’re looking for in their organization. You can turn “red flags” into a positive by calling attention to it first and making it a positive. Call attention by addressing the issue and explaining it thereby disarming the hiring person.

For instance if you’ve been 8 years at one job outline the various job titles, or responsibilities that were added in a date format. Say you started as the receptionist and then 2 years later you were an administrative assistant and then 2 years later you were the executive assistant to the president. Show a progression of responsibility within the company.

Employers and recruiters receive hundreds of resumes for every position they are trying to fill. To select their shortlist of candidates to interview, they look for the most common resume mistakes and eliminate them first. To increase your chances of getting an interview, make sure you avoid these common mistakes.

Ten Resume Mistakes to Avoid

1. Multiple pages – You need to be concise. Keep it to one page and one page only. If you can’t highlight your talents on one page, you’re generally giving the message that you are unorganized and tend to go on and on. There are a few exceptions to this rule but generally speaking one page is best.

2. Fancy paper – If your skills don’t speak for themselves, then your fancy paper isn’t going to make a bit of difference.

3. Fancy font – Same as above. Don’t try to set yourself apart with a different font on your resume. Set yourself apart by being uniquely qualified. It’s a proven fact that normal fonts like Times Roman and Arial are easier to read and that strange fonts (like the script ones) cause a persons eyes to not move naturally over the text. If a person has to concentrate on what they are reading because of the script font then they will put it down and move onto another resume that’s easier to read.

4. Irrelevant info – No one really cares that you were a singing waiter if you’re applying for an accountant job.

5. Outdated information – Does it matter that you had a newspaper route and were on the high school cheerleading squad 24 years ago? Leave it off.

6. Typos and misspellings – You would think this is an obvious one, but you’d be amazed at the number of resumes received with big blaring mistakes. This can’t be stressed enough!

7. Falsified information -Greatly elaborated credentials are the same as lies. Do not list diplomas, certifications, affiliations or awards that you did not earn. Just don’t do it. Especially nowadays when employers are hiring “screening” firms to do background checks. They WILL call the colleges and institutions you say you went to and it’ll come back to bite you in the butt.

8. Attachments – At the resume stage do not send any attachments, whatsoever. If you are granted an interview, at that time you could bring in whatever it is you’re so hot to get into the selecting official’s hands. The person accepting the resumes will likely just throw it in the round file. So while letters of recommendation are nice, you are better off bringing them with you to the interview and NOT attaching them to the email or fax or electronic application.

9. Elaborating too much – Place of employment, job title and brief, very brief description of job responsibilities are all you need. Don’t complete a whole paragraph for each job you’ve held. Hold these for the job interview and be very prepared for that. Make sure that you include the “bragging” points. Things that brought value to your employer. Saving money, saving time, managing 100 people, etc. Nobody cares if you made fresh coffee every morning or fetched lunch for people (even if it WAS part of your job).

10. No cover letter – Writing a good cover letter is a bit of an art. However, any cover letter is better than none. Just keep the same principles in mind with your letter: Brevity, relevant and free from typos.

If you can avoid these ten simple resume mistakes, you’re more than half way there to getting an interview. Once you have your foot in the door you can really shine for the boss. If you don’t make it past the first cut, due to any of the above fatal mistakes, your beautiful resume will be used to wipe up coffee spills or will be added to the recycle pile! Don’t let that happen to you.