The College World Reporter

The College World=20 Reporter

May 2010=20

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CWR = Career=20 Zone

The=20 'Dos and Don'ts' of Making A Resume=20 Sizzle =20

By = Terry=20 Pile, GCDF=20

Reprinted from The Mercer Island=20 = Reporter

Terry=20 Pile

Everyone=20 has an opinion about r=E9sum=E9s. Give your = r=E9sum=E9 to 10=20 people and you will get 10 different suggestions = on how=20 to improve it. As a career coach, I tell my = clients it=20 is their privilege to accept or reject = r=E9sum=E9 advice,=20 but there are three r=E9sum=E9 rules that = shouldn't be=20 compromised.

1. A r=E9sum=E9 must be = accurate. Don't=20 stretch the truth about degrees, skills, = achievements,=20 honors or job responsibilities.

2. A r=E9sum=E9 should = highlight your=20 accomplishments and portray you at your best. = Too many=20 r=E9sum=E9s look like job descriptions. Show = your "value=20 added'' to former employers with accomplishment=20 statements, and quantify the accomplishments if=20 possible.

3. You should be comfortable = with your=20 r=E9sum=E9. It should be a sales piece you are = proud of and=20 can easily talk about.
With that said, there = are=20 some tricks for getting your r=E9sum=E9 to stand = out from=20 the hundreds stacked on the human resources = manager's=20 desk. I asked human resource managers who live = or work=20 on Mercer Island to share their opinions on what = makes a=20 r=E9sum=E9 "sizzle.''

Linda Jack, International Bio = Products:=20 "I feel like a matchmaker when I look at = r=E9sum=E9s. I want=20 the person with the skills that best match my = job=20 opening. I look for recent, relevant experience = with=20 supporting information.''

Linda Kaminski, Personnel = Management=20 Systems Inc.: "I can usually make my decision = about a=20 candidate after reading the top third of the = page. It=20 must really grab my attention to keep on = reading. Every=20 line must count. There shouldn't be redundancy = or=20 filler. I don't want to read personal = information such=20 as religion, health status or age. Of course, = typos will=20 be an immediate disqualifier.''

Janelle Quinn, former senior = human=20 resources assistant, Farmers Life Insurance: "I = like=20 r=E9sum=E9s that are easy to read, one page or = two at the=20 most. I look for work history that is relevant = to the=20 job for which I am hiring.''

Kryss Segle, city of Mercer = Island:=20 "Fancy r=E9sum=E9s don't do it for us, we are = looking for=20 related experience. I like to study the cover = letter. It=20 speaks to who you are. I recommend putting a lot = of=20 thought into the cover letter.''

A common complaint from human = resources=20 professionals is that they are receiving a large = volume=20 of r=E9sum=E9s that aren't remotely related to = the job=20 opening. It may be a result, in part, to = the=20 unemployment compensation requirement that job = seekers=20 make a designated number of contacts each week. = Before=20 launching a mass mailing, consider the odds. A 2 = percent=20 return rate is considered pretty good in the = direct mail=20 world. That translates to two "call backs'' for = every=20 hundred r=E9sum=E9s mailed.

Want to increase your odds of = getting a=20 response? For each r=E9sum=E9 you write, do your = research=20 and tailor your r=E9sum=E9 to address the job = requirements.=20 Twenty very targeted r=E9sum=E9s will increase = your rate of=20 return.

A follow-up phone call improves = the=20 odds even more. With the technology available = for=20 research and word processing, there is no reason = not to=20 have a focused r=E9sum=E9 for each job you = target. "Fast=20 food'' r=E9sum=E9s are a thing of the past. A = gourmet r=E9sum=E9=20 that speaks to the job is much more likely to = whet the=20 appetite of a hiring manager.

Although each hiring manager = may have a=20 personal bias about r=E9sum=E9s, there are = standard=20 guidelines to follow that add professionalism to = your=20 sales piece and are universally accepted.

DO:

Include your name and contact information = on each=20 page. Proofread for correct spelling, grammar = and=20 consistency of format. Don't depend on = spellcheck=20 alone.

Use sentence fragments and write in active = voice=20 starting with action words (created, = developed,=20 implemented, initiated...). Pronouns such as = "I,''=20 "we'' and "my'' should be used sparingly in=20 r=E9sum=E9s.
Use lots of white space and a legible = font,=20 preferably 12 point; 10 at the = smallest.

Print on white or cream paper without = texture or=20 prominent water marks to ensure clarity in = case=20 r=E9sum=E9s are scanned = electronically.

Follow the employers instructions = explicitly for=20 submitting r=E9sum=E9s, especially electronic=20 ones.

DON'T:

Create an objective that focuses on what = you want.=20 The employer doesn't care. The objective = should match=20 the job you are applying for and tell what you = have to=20 offer. An example of a poor objective for a = customer=20 service position would be: "Seeking a job with = a=20 progressive company that will allow me to grow = my=20 management skills.'' A better objective is: = "Customer=20 Service rep seeking position where I can use = my=20 customer relations skills to improve service = and=20 impact sales.''

Include references on your = r=E9sum=E9 or the=20 statement "references available on request.'' = Of=20 course you will provide references if asked. = Don't use=20 up valuable space saying the = obvious.

Include dates, grade point averages or = degrees=20 older than 10 years. At this point, = your=20 experience is more important. Relevant = training=20 should be included to show you are keeping = current in=20 your field.

Use acronyms or buzz words assuming they = are=20 generally know. For example, the term "stat'' = has very=20 different meanings in the medical, financial = and=20 advertising industries.

About the=20 author. Terry Pile is = principal and=20 senior consultant with Career Advisors. = Terry has=20 over twenty years of experience in corporate,=20 government, non-profit and entrepreneurial=20 settings. Terry's areas of effectiveness = include=20 working with individuals to identify their = strengths and=20 passions and develop a career destiny within = their=20 current company or for future employment. = Terry=20 has a Master's degree in Education from Indiana=20 University and a Certificate in Career = Development from=20 the University of Washington. She is = certified by=20 the Center for Credentialing and Education as a = Global=20 Career Development Facilitator (GCDF).

About=20 Career Advisors. Career Advisors is a=20 collaboration of skilled career development and = human=20 resources professionals who provide private = career=20 counseling to individuals in transition. = Career=20 Advisors also works with small and mid-size=20 companies who pride themselves on having a = fair and=20 compassionate approach to talent management, and = who=20 strive to be the employer of choice in their = field.

Contact Information:

Career Advisors
Mercer Island, WA=20

Phone: =20 206-236-5697
www.careeradvisorsonline.com

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The CWR = logo, the=20 It's A Reader's World logo, and = the=20 names, Leader's, Mentors, and Role=20 Models; Career Zone; = and=20 Security Focus are all either=20 trademarks or copyrights owned by Donell Edwards = Media,=20 and may not be copied, reproduced, or used in = any manner=20 without prior written=20 consent.

Disclaimer

The College World = Reporter may=20 contain links to websites that are created and=20 maintained by other organizations. Donell = Edwards Media=20 does not necessarily endorse the views expressed = on=20 these websites, nor does it guarantee the = accuracy or=20 completeness of any information presented=20 = there.