All job searches start with the notorious resume. Years ago, we used to type up our one and only resume, go to the copy store and make thousands of copies on “resume” paper with cute matching envelopes. If you’re still doing this, boy it’s been a long time since you’ve looked for a job. In today’s world, you should have several versions of your resume and be constantly tweaking it for each and every job you apply for. Ironically, we now print very few resumes and if you do print it out, its perfectly acceptable to hand it out in normal white copy paper. There are hundreds of books on writing resumes. Here are some highlights from our on-air conversation (www.atscareerradio.com:
Obviously, the first thing you do in a resume is to put your name in big letters at the top. Then, make sure you have up-to-date contact info on the page. Make this obvious and big. I can’t tell you how many resumes I see where someone got creative and wrote the phone number at the bottom of the page in tiny letters. Make it simple and easy.
Double-check your contact info and make sure you have a professional e-mail address. Do not use things like sexymama@bob.com or dumblonde@com.com . Take the time to think about your entire marketing package. Everything represents you. This goes for voicemails too! Make sure your voice mail is professional. I called an applicant the other day for a customer service position whose voicemail said in a drone tone “Hi. Leave a message and if I like what you say, I might call you back.” Needless to say, this did not make a positive customer service impression.
The length of your resume is not as important as the content. Just make sure you’re not writing a novel. Generally one to two pages is preferred.
Some argue that objectives are outdated and a waste of space on a resume due to their generic nature. Nicole suggested using a “professional summary” in place of an objective. This allows you to paint a brief picture of your background and what you’re looking to achieve. I think this is a great idea. Update this section specifically for each job you apply for.
Most job searches are done on the internet and the internet is all about “keywords!” These are the words entered by the person searching in the “search” box. For example, if you’re looking for a receptionist job, you want to make sure words associated with a receptionist are on your resume. In this case, we’re talking about words like “receptionist, answering phones, greeting guests, front desk, etc.” Be careful about getting cute with job titles. Its better to use “receptionist” rather than “first impressions engineer” to make sure it picks up in searches.
Typical sections include:
- Objective / Professional Summary
- Summary of Qualifications / Skills
- Professional Experience
- Education
- References
Summary of Qualifications is a great place to make sure those keywords are on your resume. Use this area to list, in bullet form, your software proficiency, any special skills or qualifications.
In Professional Experience, list your previous jobs, from most recent to oldest. Don’t waste space listing complete addresses, phone numbers and previous supervisors. Also, never list your salary or reasons for leaving on your resume. You’ll have a chance to share this info when you fill out the company’s employment application. Do not use the word “I” when listing your job responsibilities. Used “supervised staff” rather than “I supervised staff.”
When it comes to references, I’m a big believer of putting your references on your resume. I think you should be so proud of what you’ve done that you’re happy to invite others to call your references. Sometimes the references you list can be impressive in themselves. If you’re not comfortable with putting references on the resume, then I would suggest you do NOT use the words “references available upon request.” This is stating the obvious.
Nicole pointed out the importance of proofreading your resume especially posting it online! A simple typo can make or break it many times.
HOT TIP: When posting your resume on the internet, make a list of all of the job boards you’ve posted it on and include the password information. This way when you need to make a change, you can go right down your list and keep it up to date. Its so easy to forget where you posted it.
If you’re looking for resume writing resources as well as a list of internet job boards, visit our website at www.atstampa.com and click on “ATS Career Center.” You comments are always welcome at billf@atstampa.com .
