Is your resume highlighting what it should? Are you marketing yourself correctly? There are a lot of things a resume can do for you and the right resume format can help you accomplish this. There are four styles to pick from:
1) Chronological: The body of this type of resume includes a listing of your work history, beginning with your most recent job.
Use when:
- The length of time on each job can be seen as a strength
- Your work experience is in line with your job objective.
- Job titles or employers are impressive.
- You want to highlight career advances
2) Functional: The body of this type of resume highlights your major skill areas.
Use when:
- You want to change fields
- You have the skills but not the work experience
- You have acquired skills through unpaid experience
- You have had many different work experiences not directly related to the position you are seeking. (Note: Functional Resumes are not as common as they once were and many hiring managers believe that using a functional resume means you are hiding something. If you choose this format, be very careful to include all pertinent information and dates.)
3) Combination: The body of this type of resume utilizes parts of both the functional and chronological resumes.
Use when:
- You have acquired a number of skills while progressing on one or several jobs and you want to highlight specific ones.
4) Targeted: A targeted resume focuses on specific abilities and duties that directly relate to a specific job.
Use when:
- This type of resume is prepared specifically for one position and should show your qualifications against the job’s specified qualifications.
The Targeted resume is the most favored right now. With Applicant Tracking Systems in use, targeting your resume for each and every ad you answer is essential.
A resume should be your personal marketing piece. It should tell enough about you so someone will want to meet you but not enough about you so that you can be eliminated from a search. Everyone has preferences as to resume format. Make sure that you are comfortable with the one you are using and that it clearly shows all the information.
Resume Basics
Remember, it’s your marketing piece, not your autobiography. Your resume is your chance to call attention to you and what you’ve done. You must be careful to be specific, concise and to the point. You want the hiring manager to want to learn more about you. It is not a list of your current and past job descriptions. It is a list of the things you have done that will get you to the position you want.
Some Job Facts: You should be getting 5 or 6 first interviews for every 100 targeted resumes you send out. (Targeted resumes are written with the job description/ad in mind.) If you are not, you might be sending out resumes to every ad you see, whether the job fits or not. Also, have someone review your resume to make sure it’s clear as to what you are looking for and that it doesn’t contain a typo.
You should be getting one second interview for every 8 first interviews. If not, ask yourself whether you need to polish your interviewing skills. Are you coming across as desperate or unsure?
Have you ever been a finalist for more than 8 or 9 positions and not landed a job? If so, try to review what happened. If the companies hired from within, there isn’t anything you could have done. If the company decided not to hire anyone, there isn’t anything you could have done. But to get this far this many times and not have closed the deal suggests that something is wrong. For starters, you might want to review your references. Are you giving them enough information so that they can be helpful? Consider adding new ones to the list. Sometimes, the personality of the reference makes a big difference, too!
What Goes on Your Resume and What Doesn’t
To start the year off, do a basic review of what and what does not go on a resume. It may sound elementary but many resumes don’t follow the rules. If you have been in the workforce and not looking for your first job, here’s what should and should not go on your resume.
What to Put on Your Resume
- Your name, address, telephone numbers and email address. Identify your phone numbers if you are putting more than one (cell, business, home, message etc.) If you are looking for a job out of town and want to be relocated, put your full address on the top, as usual. If you are looking for a position where you have a residence or a place to stay lined up, leave off your address or use the address at the location. Also, remember to check the email and voice mail you list regularly.
- In your description, put the company/agency name with a short explanation of the nature of the organization. Hiring managers might not be familiar with your employer or you may be working in a specific product unit of a large conglomerate.
- If you are working for an agency, list your clients or expertise within a specific industry.
- Under education, list the school, degree and dates. You might not want to put your graduation dates fearing ageism will come into play. However, not having any dates makes your resume “suspicious” and can make you look even older than you are.
- If you are fluent in languages (s) or have knowledge of specific or technical computer programs, do list them.
- Current Board/Committee memberships can show your interest in your field or in philanthropic areas. These should go on your resume.
What Not to Put on Your Resume
- Don’t list any personal information such as birthdays, marital status etc. While this is common practice outside of the U.S., it is not legal here.
- Keep the names of your references on a separate sheet and give them out when asked. First, you don’t want to give out personal information or put it out online and, secondly, remember that you always want to speak with your references to tell them who will be calling and the nature of the job before they get the call.
- Salary information does not belong on the resume. If a job ad is asking for salary history, it should go in your cover letter.
- Don’t include any activities that are not relevant. Long lists of past Boards/Committees or sports that do not pertain to your job search should not be included.
- Do not include the phrase, “References available on request.” The fact that an applicant has references is taken for granted.
Resume Objective/Summary
One of the most difficult parts of the resume seems to be the Objective or Summary. Here are some tips to help you decide which one to use and what to include.
Use an Objective if you are looking for a specific opportunity or an opportunity within a specific discipline.
Examples:
- A senior-level communications position within a global consumer company.
- Social and digital media specialist position within a healthcare agency.
- Interested in furthering my career with an agency that focuses on international direct marketing.
Summary paragraphs are better for experienced, multi-disciplined professionals.
Examples:
- Extensive management experience in integrated marketing, including work with a global consumer products company and a major financial services company.
- Over 10 years of experience in public relations with a special emphasis directing media relations, social media, crisis and issues management and financial communications.
- Fifteen years experience in communications. Specialties include investor relations, public policy issues and crisis communications.
When writing your Objective/Summary Statement, remember:
- It’s ok not to have one.
- If using an Objective, it should be as specific as possible.
- The objective of a resume is to find employment so don’t put this in your statement.
Summary statements should be brief and to-the-point. Ideally 2 to 3 sentences. Statements should contain the information you want the reader to see and cover the disciplines/keywords you want to highlight.
Examples of what not to do include:
- I am a confident, insightful and responsive professional
- I am seeking employment with a well-established international corporation.
- I want to play a leadership role in a marketing/communications capacity.
- Seeking a dynamic, versatile and challenging position utilizing strategic thinking.
If you decide to use an Objective or Summary statement, it will set the tone for what you highlight in the Experience Section of your resume. Think it through and be comfortable with it. You are selling yourself to someone who doesn’t know you. What do you want to highlight?
Words Not To Use On Your Resume
Unnecessary words, words that don’t add anything, describe anything or showcase your writing ability should be eliminated from your resume. Buzz words are no longer accepted in communication resumes. If you see any of the words below in your resume, delete them. Ask yourself why they are in your resume and can you support their use. You want to clear and concise. Meaningful words only.
- Extensive experience
- Innovative
- Motivated
- Results-oriented
- Dynamic
- Team player
- Fast-paced
- Problem solver
- Entrepreneurial
- Liaison
- Business-savvy
- Interface with
- Aptitude for
- Works well with all levels
- Good communications skills
- Measureable results
- Good work ethic
- Bottom-line oriented
Addendum Page
Have too much to say? If you have too much to cover on your resume, consider using an Addendum Page. Remember, an ideal resume is two pages long and never over three pages. Addendums are perfect when you have:
- Information that is too lengthy for your resume.
- Information that may be of interest to some but not to all of your resume recipients.
Communication professions should consider using this approach to list:
- Awards
- Significant media hits
- Published works
- Volunteer career skills
- Speeches
- Certifications
You can send the addendum, as a separate document, with your resume. Or, you can bring it with you to an interview. If someone asks about your experience, you can speak about your awards/media hits etc. and mention that you have a complete list with you. You can also use it as a leave behind. Remember to update your Addendum Page and to drop older items as you add current ones. Your resume is your personal marketing piece. Your addendum page is your substantiation of skills.
Applicant TrackingSystems
Today, most resumes go through an Applicant Tracking System (ATS). When you answer an online ad or submit your resume online, resumes go through and ATS. All applicant tracking systems work basically the same. They use a ‘parser’ to read the information in your resume.
The parser will read the information it has been given by the company. In most cases, this information consists of keywords pulled from the job description used. Unfortunately you don’t know the keywords or the parameters entered into the system. What this means is your resume submission must use the exact terminology in the ad or description or you risk the parser not forwarding your resume.
Yes, you read that correctly. Just because you submitted your resume and received notification that it was accepted, it doesn’t mean it will reach the hiring manager or HR. Unfortunately, unqualified candidates answer job ads so the applicant tracking system helps to sort out qualified resumes.
It is important that you customize your resume to each job description. Your resume is scored for relevancy. Relevancy is based on the correlating matches between your resume and the job description’s keywords.
You must also read the disclaimers/information on the web site. You need to know how long a company keeps your resume, can you update it and can you apply for different positions or does one resume submission cover other jobs as they become available. This is important because one general resume for a media relations position may not fit the qualifications for a corporate communications position etc. Some companies post a new position and look at the resumes they receive for that position. They don’t go through the database to search for other candidates. You need to know how long it will be on file so you know when to resubmit it.
If you have submitted a resume online, a recruiter cannot resubmit it.
Online Resume Submission
When submitting your resume online “think keywords.” Computer software programs make matches by keywords. Read the ad, job description and any other materials so you can use the company’s words as your keywords. If you are an experienced professional, you probably need 20+ keywords in your resume. Always remember to position yourself. If you are going to post your resume online, find the right sites. If you are a senior-level professional, look for sites that only handle your level or area of expertise.
Lastly: Sending Your Resume
Cover Letters
1. The tone of your cover letter should be positive and upbeat.
2. The position that you are applying for should be stated.
3. Cover letters should include: how you heard about the opportunity, your strengths for this position and a close asking for an interview. Three paragraphs, short and sweet. No one has time to read along, text-dense cover letters. Many are read on cell phones.
4. Your cover letters should let the reader know why you are right for this position, why you want to change careers, industries, etc. It should give the reader perspective and context for when they review your resume. Your cover letter MUST agree with you resume. If a particular skill is not in your resume, it should not be listed in the cover letter.
5. Customize your cover letter for each opportunity. Utilize the same skills/wording as in the ad. If you have skills they’re looking for, let the reader know upfront in your cover letter.
6. Leave out meaningless adjectives like dynamic, energetic, motivated etc.
7. Don’t apologize for taking someone’s time.
8. If someone referred you, mention their name upfront. If sending an email, you can mention it in the subject line.
9. Never use Dear Sir or other generic titles.
Dear (Person’s Name). This is the best way to begin a cover letter.
If you do know anyone, try LinkedIn, the company’s website or call the company and ask.
Dear (Department Head’s Name). This is your best option, as you can usually find this on the company’s website.
Dear Recruiter/Hiring Manager. If all the above fails, use this salutation.While not optimal, it will suffice.
10. Follow preferences: If an employment ad specifically asks for a cover letter, send it.
11. Tailor, tailor, tailor: If your cover letter fits many jobs, it’s not tailored enough to be worth sending.
12. Provide focus: Only a concise targeted cover letter has any value.
13. Offer context: Use a cover letter if you need to explain something that is not on your resume such as gap in employment.
14. Always personalize: If you know someone in the organization, put the person’s name in the cover letter so you can show a connection.
15. Mention references: If you have spoken to the hiring manager, refer to that in your cover letter.
16. Practice brevity: Cover letters must be concise but very strong. You want to make a quick impact.
17. Follow the ad carefully. Use the same job numbers, and the same names listed. If you can’t follow directions, why would this company want to hire you?
18. Develop a template so that you can easily and quickly customize your letter. As communicators, we often have many different skills and highlighting the correct ones is crucial.
19. For online submissions, make sure you can submit Word/PDF documents and a cover letter. Not all tracking systems, allow cover letter submission.
