THE LATEST NEWS ABOUT RESUMES
In late September, in Portland, Maine, I attended the annual conference of the National Resume Writers Association, of which www.affordable-resumes.com is a member. This is the premiere association for resume writers, keeping us current in our field. There were over 100 members from all regions of the country. I want to share the three most valuable things that I learned, and how those things can be incorporated into the resume that you, we, or someone else may draft for you.
For some time now, legend was that the average resume reader would be expected to take between only 30 seconds to 1½ minutes to give a resume a first look. Well, how times have changed! That time has now been reduced to from 30 seconds to 3 to 7. Seconds.
With all of the technological devices created to make our lives run more smoothly, we’ve run out of time. What does this mean for you, when considering your resume: It means that the first half of the first page of the resume has to “grab” the reader--immediately. How is anyone expected to find a way to catch a readers attention, when they’re speed reading? They have to do what they can before the Big Gong takes them off the stage. You must perform. Quickly. Get a CAR.
No, not that one.
You must tell a story, within those 3-7 seconds available. Speaking fast would help, in person, but the reader is likely reading faster than those disclaimer announcers on our television commercials for drugs. A CAR is a way of telling a story. And here is the plot:
C -- What was the crisis?
A -- What action did you take to handle the crisis?
R -- What was the result? Did you save the day? You better had, or you don’t have a story to tell.
Describing the mundanities of your existence is boring. We know what a dishwasher does. We know what a teacher who teaches third grade does, too. And a Systems Manager or Network Administrator is also likely to bore the reader to death itemizing the [BORING!] things they did on a day to day basis.
What did you do on your job to make your position exciting for you! Think about it, so you can tell the reader! The resume reader doesn’t want to know so much what you did on the job. Any Google Search of jobs, or visits to indeed.com, or sites like careerbuilder.com will help you understand what’s expected of you in your job title.
So, think hard before you write one word about what you did on your day at work. You will bore the Evelyn Wood resume reader within a nano-second. How did you add value to your employer and in what way? Selling a widget is great, but is there a way you broke new ground in selling those widgets? That’s where your creativity should be most focused. What you did that improved the workplace, brought more money in, or turned something around, etc., is essential.
“Branding” statements can also be very important in making your resume stand out from the crowd. Such a statement can be your philosophy regarding your job, position or profession, etc.; the branding statement can be created from a superb recommendation that you achieved, or a marvelous evaluation statement. If you have a great one, or more than one, incorporate those into your resume.
The things we learned at the conference were invaluable and will enhance our ability to transform the lives of our clients in bringing life to their employment history. The trick will be how to keep it short, but full of the proper keywords, yet tell a story. Whew!
You have your work cut out for you. Or we have our work cut out for us, in helping you!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Now, Look as Good in Person as You Do on Paper! Preparing for the Interview.
You have completed the first step toward getting a new job: you have sent your resume and cover letter to prospective employers. Now what’s next?
Do you relax and sit around waiting for your interview?
No--you need to practice and prepare for it.
Many of the suggestions below are culled from Elaine Varelas, “The JobDoc,” in “Little details count in interview,” an article printed in the Boston Globe in 2010.
1) Review your resume and cover letter so that you know everything that is on them. Keep them in your purse or car, and look at them every time you get a chance. Remember, your interviewer will ask you questions about information on the resume and cover letter, and you don’t want to be blind-sided because you can’t answer them. You would be surprised at how many interviewees fumble when asked questions about their resumes and cover letters. Think about how you can expand on the resume or cover letter when asked questions about them. If there are gaps in your job history, be prepared to address them.
2) Have mock interviews. Get family and friends to “play” prospective employers. Practice the interview process from the time that you walk in the door of the prospective employer. How you present to each person during the interview becomes part of your story. People talk about candidates both within and between companies, and you want to make your story represent you as positive, professional, and an asset to any organization. So practice greeting receptionists courteously, and being considerate to wait staff if the interview will include lunch. In your mock interviews, walk in, shake hands with your mock interviewer, be seated in the correct manner (no slouching or legs spread). It may sound crazy, but you should also practice saying goodbye and walking out of the interview. Have at least three mock interviews, and ask for feedback from people you trust.
3) Dress for success. Choose your interview outfit, making sure that it is clean and pressed, with no tears or strings hanging off. Do not wear jeans, no matter what the job entails.
For men:
a) if you won’t need a suit and tie for the job, you can wear casual pants and a shirt, with a sweater or jacket over it.
b) Take off the earring(s) and bracelets, if you wear them.
c) And don’t forget to polish the shoes you’ll be wearing (no athletic shoes, please).
For women:
a) Dress conservatively. A suit (with pants or skirt) is best, with an understated blouse. Be careful of prints and gaudy colors. Your jewelry should also be conservative.
b) Don’t wear lots of rings, bracelets, or anklets.
c) Wear conservative shoes: no stilettos or sandals.
d) Go easy on the makeup. You don’t want your prospective employer to think that you would need to spend a lot of time in the powder room to keep your makeup refreshed. Human resource professionals, whom you will often see first, are generally more conservative than the person who will actually employ you.
For both sexes: leave the perfume or cologne off. Many people are allergic to fragrances, and, increasingly, employers are asking staff not to wear them. Unscented soap will do the job.
4) Men and women: get a manicure the day before (or of) the interview, no matter what job you are interviewing for. Your hands will be in full view, and they say a lot about you. Men should get their cuticles trimmed and their nails buffed. Women should get either a French manicure, have a natural polish, or a nail buffing. Brightly colored nails can chip easily, and nails that are too long might work against you in the interview. Again, you don’t want the prospective employer to think you would spend a lot of time at work keeping your nails up.
All steps completed? You are now ready to go after that job. Good luck!!
Do you relax and sit around waiting for your interview?
No--you need to practice and prepare for it.
Many of the suggestions below are culled from Elaine Varelas, “The JobDoc,” in “Little details count in interview,” an article printed in the Boston Globe in 2010.
1) Review your resume and cover letter so that you know everything that is on them. Keep them in your purse or car, and look at them every time you get a chance. Remember, your interviewer will ask you questions about information on the resume and cover letter, and you don’t want to be blind-sided because you can’t answer them. You would be surprised at how many interviewees fumble when asked questions about their resumes and cover letters. Think about how you can expand on the resume or cover letter when asked questions about them. If there are gaps in your job history, be prepared to address them.
2) Have mock interviews. Get family and friends to “play” prospective employers. Practice the interview process from the time that you walk in the door of the prospective employer. How you present to each person during the interview becomes part of your story. People talk about candidates both within and between companies, and you want to make your story represent you as positive, professional, and an asset to any organization. So practice greeting receptionists courteously, and being considerate to wait staff if the interview will include lunch. In your mock interviews, walk in, shake hands with your mock interviewer, be seated in the correct manner (no slouching or legs spread). It may sound crazy, but you should also practice saying goodbye and walking out of the interview. Have at least three mock interviews, and ask for feedback from people you trust.
3) Dress for success. Choose your interview outfit, making sure that it is clean and pressed, with no tears or strings hanging off. Do not wear jeans, no matter what the job entails.
For men:
a) if you won’t need a suit and tie for the job, you can wear casual pants and a shirt, with a sweater or jacket over it.
b) Take off the earring(s) and bracelets, if you wear them.
c) And don’t forget to polish the shoes you’ll be wearing (no athletic shoes, please).
For women:
a) Dress conservatively. A suit (with pants or skirt) is best, with an understated blouse. Be careful of prints and gaudy colors. Your jewelry should also be conservative.
b) Don’t wear lots of rings, bracelets, or anklets.
c) Wear conservative shoes: no stilettos or sandals.
d) Go easy on the makeup. You don’t want your prospective employer to think that you would need to spend a lot of time in the powder room to keep your makeup refreshed. Human resource professionals, whom you will often see first, are generally more conservative than the person who will actually employ you.
For both sexes: leave the perfume or cologne off. Many people are allergic to fragrances, and, increasingly, employers are asking staff not to wear them. Unscented soap will do the job.
4) Men and women: get a manicure the day before (or of) the interview, no matter what job you are interviewing for. Your hands will be in full view, and they say a lot about you. Men should get their cuticles trimmed and their nails buffed. Women should get either a French manicure, have a natural polish, or a nail buffing. Brightly colored nails can chip easily, and nails that are too long might work against you in the interview. Again, you don’t want the prospective employer to think you would spend a lot of time at work keeping your nails up.
All steps completed? You are now ready to go after that job. Good luck!!
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