1) Keep it short.
Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume, the shorter your resume, the most desirable it is. Aim for one page. Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you list the most relevant information within the upper half of the first page. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed.
2) Spelling, Spelling, Spelling
It is not enough to run the word processor's spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.) Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee that your resume will end up in the circular file even if you have all the qualifications in the world.
3) Start your resume with a Power Statement.
Many resume writers suggest an objective. My suggestion is that you start your resume with a power statement such as: "Award-winning, highly accomplished Operations Manager with successful track records of consistently increasing revenue and slashing operating costs." Whereas the objective tells the employer only what you want to do, the power statement goes further in highlighting not only the job you are seeking but also your major achievements. The power statement also showcases what you can do for the company.
4) Begin your sentences with action verbs for added punch and to express a sense of accomplishment.
What are action verbs? Here are some examples: resolved, developed, improved, instituted, increased, constructed, engineered, overhauled, diagnosed, expressed, formulated, involved, streamlined, spearheaded.
5) Use specifics such as numbers, percentages, figures and facts.
Example: "Exceeded sales quotas by 25% within 1 year." Numbers stand out and communicate clearly and openly about not only the results you produced but also about what you can do for the company (can't repeat that enough).
6) Answer the "What's in it for me?" question every employer is asking while reading your resume.
Employers are looking for people who will solve their problems. You have to present your case accordingly. How?
By answering these questions:
What kind of problems did you solve on the job? How did the company benefit from your performance? How did you do the job differently and better than the person before you did? Did you introduce a new program, system? If yes, what were the results of it? Did you save or earn money for the company? What were you most proud of in your job? What would your supervisor and coworkers
say they will miss most about you when you leave? How did you make a difference in your job? How did you affect the company's bottom line?
performance? How did you do the job differently and better than the person before you did? Did you introduce a new program, system? If yes, what were the results of it? Did you save or earn money for the company? What were you most proud of in your job? What would your supervisor and coworkers
say they will miss most about you when you leave? How did you make a difference in your job? How did you affect the company's bottom line?
Celebrate!!...You Have Just Been Laid-Off
by Gordon Miller
That’s right, celebrate! According to research for my new book, The Career Coach: Winning Strategies for Getting Ahead in Today’s Job Market, by Gordon Miller, “downsized” people who used the experience to re-invent how they viewed and approached the job market, typically found a new job that was more satisfying and often times paid more money.
The key is re-thinking. Re-thinking how you go about finding a new position; like not sending a resume but instead sending a job proposal. Re-thinking about not getting back into the same old career rut, but re-packaging your skills to find a new career path.
Becoming a “change agent” is a great way to get started.
The best way to deal with change is to embrace it. You’re going to be much better off endorsing and proposing change. I think it was Heraclitus who said, “everything is changing, save the law of change.” The good news is that most of the changes are positive. We will have lots more career choices than ever imagined, mainly because even in a modest economy, there will be a labor
shortage.
So how do we, the workers, become agents of change and prosper in the future job market?
Here are some ideas;
1) Think Impact: first, think about what will happen tomorrow as a result of the decisions and actions I’m taking today?
2) Think Future: we are all going to have to be more proactive. We’ve all talked about that for years and have never have really been effective at it. Tomorrow’s companies are going to want people who are looking down the road and are not satisfied with the infamous status quo. They will want people
who are creative-thinkers and problem solvers.
3) Think Creatively: thinking out-of-the-box is not reserved for geniuses and right-brainers, Things are moving so fast in Corporate America that the “olde ways” don’t get it anymore.
4) Think Change: what we’re talking about here is re-inventing yourself. The best way to do that is Research, Research, Research. Spend some time each day investigating how your industry and your company will be changing. Then, re-spin your persona to fit the new direction.
5) Think Others: no, you won’t have to go to Touchy Feely classes or wear a New Age badge to accomplish this. It’s simply understanding what impact you have on people, whether they are fellow employees, or customers, or vendors. Try to understand what’s going on with them.
6) Think Open Communication: expand your ability to communicate. Some of us have trouble with that. Maybe more than just some. To improve, you can practice with people you trust (ask them for honest feedback on how well you communicate). You can take classes on the subject. You can read books on it. The key is this: the change agent of the future is someone who can communicate clearly, succinctly and quickly.
7) Think Technology: and last, it’s vital you improve your information technology skills. You don’t have to be a propeller-head, or a geek. But you do have to know what role technology plays in the future of your work, and what level of expertise you will need.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, Think Innovation! People and companies who can consistently innovate, develop new product and service solutions, will win.
(Copyright/Rita Fisher, Career Change Resumes)
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