You're Resume Is Good, But...

Very often I hear “I have a good resume, why didn’t I get the job”? When I hear this, I tell people that your resume is like one of those fast passes used at amusement parks. Yes, you may get to the front of the line but there are many other people with those same passes. When you get to the front of the line you will find that there many people who had those same passes. A good resume is only the beginning of your job search as there are many more parts that are needed to land your dream job. Here are a few I have observed:

1.       Your LinkedIn page is the next step recruiters will take to find out more about you. I’m sure you’ve heard how imperative technology is in today’s world. This is even more true in today’s job search. Recruiters will search for you on LinkedIn to see find out more about your professional character. LinkedIn is a professional network for industry professionals, sort of like a virtual resume to display your education and accomplishments. If you do not know about LinkedIn you can create a page here: www.LinkedIn.com

2.       You will also need to be a master of the phone interview. Recruiters are still looking to eliminate candidates at this point. Phone interviews are your chance to talk one on one with the recruiter about your previous and current job duties. Be prepared to answer: “So tell me why you are looking for a new position”? It is imperative you are leaving your job for a good reason, especially if you have been with your current job for under 2 years. A company does not want to bring in a new employee (especially for a high paying position) if they plan to leave in under 2 years.

3.       It would be wise to brush up on your arithmetic and logical reasoning skills. This is especially true for those of you who are applying for positions where you will be responsible for others (team lead, supervisor, manager, director). Many of these higher-level positions require you to take an assessment before making a hiring decision. These are basic skills that upper level employees make every day that will have a major impact on the business. Even if your resume is great, performing poorly on these tests can eliminate you from your dream position.  

A resume is a great start for any position, but it will not land you a job. Do not send your resume out to multiple employers and put on cruise control waiting to be hired. Be intentional in your job search, and treat each individual job that you apply to as THE career you want. We have all heard what job means “just over broke”. So, get out there today and land your dream career. As always, remember: Slow progress is better than no progress!

What Language Is Your Resume Speaking?

Imagine you are visiting a foreign country and you do not speak the native language. You are trying to communicate with the locals, however they can only understand about 10% of what you are saying. You finally find someone that speaks your language after 2 days. They inform you that the locals understand that you are TRYING to communicate, but your dialect is off. The same goes for your resume. Allow me to explain:

1.     What language is your resume speaking? Are you using terms that are specific to the industry that you are attempting to enter? For example, call centers monitor KPI’s, AHT’s, & FCR’s. These terms translate to Key Performance Indicators, Average Handle Time, and Fist Call Resolution. All these terms are specific to the telecommunications industry. If you use these your resume is showing that you are fluent in the industry you are trying to enter.

2.      How fluent are in you the language? This would relate to your experience and how you can express this on your resume. Are your skills entry level, mid-level, or experienced? If you are applying for a position that requires 8+ years of experience then you should show how fluent your skills are. An example of this would be “project manager for five hundred thousand dollar renovation of building”. This is a candidate that has learned the language and can read and write it as well.

These are just two pointers to help with the language of your resume. Remember: your resume speaks for you when you cannot speak for yourself. It must speak in a language that is easy to understand for everyone. You can do this! Land your dream job today and remember Slow Progress Is Better Than No Progress!

Your Resume

Why aren’t people calling me back for jobs? This is a question that we often ask ourselves after throwing out our resume to a bunch of different job sites. This time can be very demoralizing and make you feel like nobody wants to hire you. As humans, we naturally want to feel excepted. This is even more true for those of you out there with college degrees. I have some advice for you job hunters out there. These tips will be on resume preparation. Some of you may have heard some of these tips, and for some this will be new information. Here we go:

1.      Tailor your resume to the position you are applying to. This is how a lot of potential candidates eliminate themselves from the position they are applying to. If you are applying to an IT position with a company you should have language specific to the IT field. An easy way to tailor your resume to the position is to look at the job posting and tailor your resume to the requirements. An example would be a job posting that has a requirement “Maintains daily and weekly statistics for individual direct reports.” A supervisor with experience would say on their resume “developed and update spreadsheet composed of employee metrics”. The job description talks the talk, now you must show that you can walk the walk.

2.      Ensure that you can speak to all the accomplishments on your resume. Often, I advise many clients on the language on their resume. For example, look at the example that I used in my first point. If you do now know what it means to develop and update a spreadsheet do not mention it on your resume. Think of your resume as a foreign language that you must translate for a visitor to your country.

3.      Do not spend more time on making your resume fancy. This is called formatting: the layout of your resume. Do not add fancy bullet points, or fancy fonts. Your resume should be easy to read in a basic font. You can highlight a few things by underlining something or putting something in bold lettering. Something simple to remember: Bold Bullets Win (BBW). A resume that is simple with bold and bullet points is a winning resume.

There are many other factors that go into putting a resume together, but these are some of the basics. We will continue to educate and provide advice to those of you out there who are trying to put together a winning resume. Good luck on your job search and remember slow progress is better than no progress!

Your Message

Have you ever looked at a professional speaker after they are finished speaking and thought “wow, that must be the life”! People are lined up to shake their hands, take pictures with them, and buy whatever they are selling. What is not seen is the behind the scenes work, which can be very rigorous. One of the most rigorous tasks that I have found difficult about speaking is delivering your message. Here’s why:

1.       Finding your message

a.       You want to speak in front of a sold-out arena full of people? Well make sure they have a message that you want to listen to. When you are finished speaking think about the action you want people to take. Many of us have stories waiting to be told, we just don’t know how to tell them. Often due to embarrassment, thinking we are the only one going through our internal struggle.

2.       Packaging your message

a.       After finding what your message is, now you must figure out how to package your message. Just like finding the perfect Christmas gift, you must find the perfect box and bow for your message. When you are packaging your message, you are preparing for it to be delivered. If you are giving a speech, how long is it going to be? What type of venue will your speech be held in? You should also think about your medium. Is your message best for radio, print, or television? After you have determined the best medium for your message it is time for the most important part of your message: the delivery.

3.       Delivering your message

a.       So, you found your message, packaged your message, and now it is time to deliver your message. The most important part of delivering your message is finding your target audience. Think about who will appreciate your message the most? People who can relate to your direct message usually will be the best market. An example of this is someone who lost 100 pounds talking to a group of individuals who just began the weight watchers program.

b.       Delivery will be different depending on what medium you decide. On television, you must look good, and have a great stage presence. On paper or online, you must have perfect grammer (or is it grammar)? When delivering on radio you need to practice the inflection of your voice to draw people into your message.

Once you have your message packages and delivered you will need to practice perfecting it. Practice makes perfect. You can start by recording your voice on a voice recorder, or using a camcorder to practice your stage presence. There are many other elements of being a speaker, but without a message you have nothing. Good luck, work hard, and find your message!