Resume Writing Blog: Creating Prints

A Resume Critique You Can Benefit From

I was asked to provide a job seeker feedback and I thought it would be helpful if I repost my advice as many may benefit from the tips I shared. Of course, each resume’s weak areas vary but if you ensure you have at least covered these basics, your resume will be a more powerful one. Here is part of my feedback to that job seeker.

(Please know I was much nicer to the job seeker. The instructions below may seem too straight to the point and perhaps a tiny bit cold. To protect the job seekers' privacy some of the 'friendlier' interaction was removed. So, I am really not this mean...)

 

Feedback begins below:

Marketing: First know that a resume is a marketing tool. This resume falls very short in that arena. What are you proposing as a result? What is your branding statement? What sets you apart from others?

Visual Appeal: The job market is tough right now. With unemployment rate in double digits, you need to make an impression immediately. This resume could use a ‘face lift.’ Understand that while the content of your resume is king, you must first attract in order to give your resume a reading opportunity. So work on visual appeal.

Achievements:  Where are the achievements on resume? If they are there, they are hiding. A few simple strategies like bulleting your achievements and separating the job description from results will help you tremendously.

Format: You don’t have to keep your resume in this layout (traditional/chronological order). This layout only emphasizes your “job-hopping experience.” You can create an Area of Expertise or Career Highlight in order to bring attention to your best accomplishments. Additionally, why have you set off your employment dates toward the right side? This only brings even more attention to your short-term employment.

In all honesty this resume needs much work. You said it has been rewritten, professionally? I understand that job seekers may be worried about investing in a resume prep when they have to manage their funds – but I implore you all to seek professional assistance.

There are many certified resume writers that can help you –- all with different fees. I am sure you can find someone within your price range. It is worth the investment to secure a job!

Please visit my site www.creatingprints.com or the National Resume Writers' Association or Career Management Alliance to find a writer that can assist you. If you would like me to evaluate your resume, please email it and provide me your phone number as well.

As always, if I can be of any assistance, please email me at rvargas@creatingprints.com

Master Resume Writer

Holiday Resume Sparkle: Outshine the New Year Job-Search Mob

Part of the Career Collective monthly posts. See end of this post.

    

  

We all LOVE presents! Don't we? It is especially delightful to open a beautiful gift box adorned in all the 'bells and whistles' (high-quality gift wrapping, fancy ribbon, sparkly bows with a sentimental gift card). Tell me. How difficult is it for you to temper your smile when you've been 'gifted' with an aesthetically pleasing package? Seconds later, surges your curiosity, what's inside the box?

You can admit it, the prettier the box—the greater the expectation. Of course, there are those times when you open that box and, um, you wonder…Why on earth someone would go through all that trouble just to present you with a pair of socks. Really! Why would they?  Yet, you have to admit (even while you're enjoying your eggnog and 'admiring' your brand new red fluffy socks) that the presentation was so alluring-- your curiosity was instantaneously ignited. That's because presentation matters.

So, this holiday season, don't halt your job search. Instead, equip yourself with the best job search marketing tools and strategize your job hunt. One of the things you can do is revamp your resume so that it's attractive and professionally branded. Please know, however, that while I'll be equipping you with formatting/visual techniques, your resume's content is the bottom line and it needs to be 1. RELEVANT, 2. MARKETING-ORIENTED, 3. ACCOMPLISHMENT-DRIVEN, 4. SUBSTANTIATED and 5. QUANTIFIED. The following will immediately improve your resume's visual appeal...

Expert Techniques to Make Your Resume Sparkle

Dynamic Heading - A few things can help your resume's heading pop. You can bold, change the font size, create a logo, or add a clip art. The point is to ensure it is tastefully done and relevant to the industry. Note:  I do not recommend anything other than bolding and changing font size for conservative industries (i.e., engineering, law, accounting, insurance, etc.).

Summary / Profile - Brand yourself a professional. You can begin to do so easily by adding a job title before your Profile/Summary and underlining your new section with a colored border.

White Space - One of the most neglected visual techniques is the inclusion of white space. Including white space makes the reading inviting and easier on the eyes. Legible!

Cleanup Sentences - I am a concise kind of gal. For me, conciseness is key. Keep paragraphs short. Personally, I don't like more than say five to six sentences together. Nice crisp and clean --but power hitting! 

Color - I mentioned color above, but allow me to elaborate and emphasize you must use color carefully. If you are using more than one color, keep it coordinated, subtle, and professional. If you have no color theory knowledge, keep to the same color and just combine two shades. Better yet, stick to one color.

Charts, Tables, and Graphs - If you are in sales, marketing, any numbers-driven field, you can add a visual relationship reference to demonstrate spiraling revenues.

Borders/Dividers - Sectioning off the areas of your resume with either borders, dividers, or extra white space is an excellent way to keep things organized and neat. Give each section a strong and bold title. Make it easy for your employer to skip to the areas desired.

Bullets Limited - A sea of bullets is not attractive-- no matter how you adorn them. I try to keep bullets to no more than six. There a few things you can do here like inserting space of .02 to .04 in between bulleted sentences; create a paragraph and then bullet only extraordinary achievements; a bit trickier, but effective, is grouping bullets/achievements based on skill.

The Second Page Matters - When you create a second page, remember to format it also. Many will focus on the first page and the second page looks pretty plain. Use the same techniques I listed above. It is even more difficult to guide your reader's eyes through the entire second page, as most employers don't even read that far into your resume. If they have, ensure it is an easy and information-driven read.

Extra Visual and Marketing Power - Adding an endorsement or a quote is an excellent eye-catcher. Just ensure you have followed the white space rule, otherwise, your endorsement will just seem like unnecessary adornment. Lastly, adding a branding statement is an outstanding charmer and an excellent marketing tactic.

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at rvargas@creatingprints.com.

 

 

Please Download Resume-Sparkle and present it to someone who needs a resume makeover this holiday season. Happy Holidays!

Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer Credentialed
www.creatingprints.com

 

Career Collective Blog Posts: Collaboratively Helping Job Seekers

Please visit all the posts below, which are addressing the same topic, expert advice to help job seekers really ramp up their efforts for the holiday season and the new year! Post by members of the career collective.  Follow our hash tag on Twitter #careercollective

   

@MartinBuckland, Elite Resumes, "Season’s Greetings and your Job Search"

@GayleHoward, The Executive Brand, “It’s Christmas: And a ho-ho-ho-hum?”

@KCCareerCoach, Career Chaos, “The Gift Every Laid Off Job Seeker Needs”

@resumeservice, Resume Writing Blog,“Holiday Resume Sparkle: Outshine the New Year Job-Search Mob”

@heathermundell, life@work, “Have a Holly Jolly Job Search”

@sweetcareers,Sweet Careers, “Holiday Job Search Tips for College Students 2009″

@careersherpa, Hannah Morgan: Career Sherpa, “Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa Cheers”

@careerealism, CAREEREALISM.com, “Holiday Tip for Job Seekers: 4 Ways to Impress Others with Your Professionalism”

@heatherhuhman, HeatherHuhman.com, “4 Tips for Making the Most of Holiday Job Hunting”

@LaurieBerenson, Sterling Career Concepts, “Three Resolutions to Take It Up a Notch”

@KatCareerGal, Quintessential Resumes and Cover Letters Tips Blog, “Avoiding the Holiday Blues in Your Job Search”

@WorkWithIllness, WorkingWithillness.com, “Avoid this Minnefield: Drive Your Bus ”

@DawnBugni, “The Write Solution Could that sound really be opportunity? During the Holidays?”

@andyinnaples, “Shift Your Focus to the Highest Impact Job Search Activities During the Holidays to Leverage Your Time”

@erinkennedycprw, Professional Resume Services, “How to keep up the Job Hunt during the Holidays”

@keppie_careers, Keppie Careers, “Four tips for effective networking follow-up for the holidays and the rest of the year”

@ValueIntoWords, Career Trend, “Navigating the Mistle Toe of Job Search”

@GLHoffman, What Would Dad Say, “Merry Christmas! Can I Buy You Coffee to Talk About Me?”

@BarbaraSafani, Career Solvers, “Holiday Networking Can Facilitate New Year Opportunities”

@expatcoachmegan, Career By Choice Blog, “Expat Networking: Holidays Are a Great Time to Nurture and Grow Your Network”

@chandlee, The Emerging Professional Blog, Footprints & Associations: Job Search Tips for the Holidays

@JobHuntOrg, Job-Hunt.org, "(Holiday) Party Your Way to a New Job"

 

Curtain-Raising Cover Letters: Full Disclosure

Cover Letters Get Tossed. Haven’t You Heard?

Quite a conundrum--creating an alluring and candidacy strengthening cover letter without reciting your resume. 

So why do some dislike the cover letter? I’ll tell you what I’ve heard and why sometimes I too don’t like them...

Many underestimate the cover letter and write it as just a formality; others write cover letters with futile marketing attempts because they just recount what will be on the resume. So, I ask you, what is the point of a cover letter when 1. It’s a pretty boring read? I already know you seek the job and this is why you are submitting your resume; 2. Why should I read your resume if you just summarized it in the cover letter? 

Humor me. let's say I read your cover letter, I'm interested, and I proceed to read your resume and…déjà vu…didn’t I just read this in the cover letter? Seems pointless--don’t you think?

Spellbinding and Curtain-Raising Cover Letters

Bottom-line is, a cover letter’s purpose is to lure the reader to, well, read your resume and call you for an interview. Now you may be dying to ask me, why then can’t I only submit my resume? My answer is, you can—but how do you know your competition didn’t submit a persuasive cover letter that just about nudged you off the top spot? Hmm? Worst-case scenario, they can set your cover letter aside but it’s available if they need more convincing.

So, how do you create cover letter that is not tossed? I’m glad you asked…

1. Break a leg with your opening act: Don’t begin cover letters with an ordinary and boring statement. You really want to 'have them at hello' (Sorry. Couldn't help it.) Really, captivate with the very first sentence. Exude sincerity, offer specific value, spin it, and make sure it's employer-oriented. Here is one of my favorite openings:

Dear Mr. Bradley:

“Offering to drive pharmaceutical sales growth by generating qualified leads, penetrating territories, and closing the toughest sales, consistently!” Please allow me to introduce myself...

 

2. Make a personal connection: You can tell a personal story that further positions you as the best candidate. You can provide statistical insight, reinforcing your industry knowledge. You may opt to walk your employer through your process. In other words, you can communicate more personally than you would on your resume and leverage that 'ace in your pocket.'

See an example I used in a cover letter:

“I am an avid golfer (with a pretty good handicap) and golf at least twice per week—I have closed many sales on the golf course over a weekend. Clients consider me a trusted friend and have even helped me form golf teams for charity events, which is an excellent way to network and gain new business...”

Do you think I would have been able to add this golf example in the resume for my client –- no. Now, let’s say candidate #1 is a stellar sales person and candidate #2 (my client) is also an outstanding revenue producer--this example is helping my client promote an added value. This 'sign-on benefit' clues the hiring manager that my client initiates and develops fruitful relationships through personal networking strategies that will be advantageous to the company. Besides, it’s memorable. In a pile of hundreds of resumes and cover letters –- memorable is a winner!

3. Become a tease: Foreshadow what will be listed on the resume; what they will discover when they read your resume--but don’t repeat. Piqué interest! Save some fresh content for your cover letter.  This is a strategic career marketing plan, part of which what goes on your resume or cover letter is determined--a real choreography! Example:

“Please refer to my resume which summarizes more than 15 years of experience increasing revenue for top corporations such as IBM. I have aggressively launched unique sales strategies that have produced up to $8M annually. You will find a full account of my projected sales plans and exceeded goals by percentage per year.”

Now we have asked the hiring manager to review the resume and we have provided a bit of information to spark interest. It is important to add quantifiable information and be specific, as you don’t want to seem vague. However, there is no need to provide all the details in the cover letter, especially if it will be on the resume. While I urge you to tease -- the teasing must be done with actual facts and specific references not generalities that mean nothing.

4. Mesmerize them and get'em to say, YES: There is a physiological connection that goes on when you get a person to think or say yes. So, when you craft your cover letter try to envision the reader nodding their head in agreement with your statements. In order to do this you must validate their needs. You can cast this spell through reinforcing statements or questions. Take it easy on the questions though—you don’t want to come across too sales-driven. (The art of career marketing is a delicate balance.)

5. Ask for the interview: In sales, they always direct you to ask for the sale. Well, ask for the interview. Just ask for it!

The point here is that your cover letter is a supporting influencing tool. It must be unique, inviting, compelling-- a prelude to a well crafted resume in order to provoke action. Your cover letter is part of a marketing package and so merely writing it as you would any other communication letter is not going to generate the interviews you seek.

True story: I had a client tell me that when they were interviewed they were told the cover letter clinched the interview and the resume was used as a guide for an interesting interview. Here is a beginning part of that cover letter:

"Music and entertainment is my passion. I am lucky to have realized so early what I was born to do! I have known I wanted to work in the entertainment industry since I was 11 years old. At age 4, I already had an affinity for music and entertainment...I loved to perform, watch all the award shows on TV, memorize the choreography to music videos, and I always wanted to know how it all worked behind the scenes."

Client landed a job with Universal Music Distribution. There you have it. Market yourself as the ideal candidate via a purposefully created cover letter, which augments the resume, convincing the employer you’ve got what they need…in a very special way.

Rosa E. Vargas
Master Resume Writer Certified
www.creatingprints.com
rvargas@creatingprints.com

Turn Around Your Floundering Job Search by Discovering Your Good Luck

Imagine having consistent good fortune. What would that be like? Let’s see…You lost your job—not the end of the world, you'll find a new one! You always look great in white and serendipity seems to be your best friend. Nice way of life, right?

I consider myself a pretty lucky person and I know others who seem luckier than I. Then there are those poor souls for whom nothing seems to go their way. So, I began to ponder, what is luck and how come some have it and some seem to repel it as quick as a wink?

What is Luck?

Discovering your luck is about EXPECTING it, CREATING it, IDENTIFYING when opportunity knocks at your door, following your GUT INSTINCTS, TAKING RISKS and looking at challenges from a POSITION OF POWER and not from a victimized perspective.

How is it that some job seekers seem to attract career opportunities easier than others with the same qualifications and the same job search tools? Is it really just luck? Let’s see…

Unlucky job seeker statements: The economy is so tough. There are so many qualified people out there. Recruiters are mean to me! How could this be happening to me? I am worried this is going to take a long time. Can you cut me a deal since I really can’t afford it? And my personal favorite, how soon can I get back to you if my resume is not working?

Lucky job seeker statements: Can’t wait to get this resume out there. I feel so much more confident now with this new resume. If I post this resume every day, I will be sure to get ahead of all the other job seekers, right? I will do everything I can to speed up this job search process. Coincidently, I just reacquainted with my old colleague …

Do you see the distinction? Clue: Attitude, expectation, energy, enthusiasm, and focus on the goal! Yes, these are very difficult times right now for many job seekers but focusing on the challenges instead of on a ways to overcome them is not going to change your luck or attract the right employment.

Make Your Own Luck

A must read on this very topic is How To Make Your Own Luck by Daniel H. Pink. In his blog, he quotes psychologist Richard Wiseman:

"What are some of the ways that lucky people think differently from unlucky people?

'One way is to be open to new experiences. Unlucky people are stuck in routines. When they see something new, they want no part of it. Lucky people always want something new. They're prepared to take risks and relaxed enough to see the opportunities in the first place'”

Do you agree with the statement above? And if you don’t, isn’t it still worth a shot? Allow me to provide you with a few tips so you spark your good luck and begin to reverse your unfruitful job search. Yes, practical steps for a totally magical transformation!

1. Create a Job Search Road Map: Creating a job search plan is a pragmatic way to ignite your luck. A navigation tool with detailed action steps, a clear and defined job target, along with job search tools (resume, cover letter, reference list, thank you/follow up letter, job search methods, networking strategies, and an online presence). Luck favors the prepared they say.

2. Be Flexible and Take Risks: While a plan is in order, don’t employ a tunnel vision. Work toward your plan but be open to the idea that there may be something else or another way of getting to your ultimate goal. Consider temporary assignments or even relocating if need be. Change industries; try a different side of the coin.

3. Be Observant and Curious: Come up for air once in a while and notice others. While you network be present and see if you can assist. When you are focused on only what you can gain, you actually fail to notice wonderful opportunities that are right under your nose. Investigate further on leads that may not seem so attractive at first -- you really don't know where they may lead you.

4. Expect to Win: Self-talk if you must but bank on your success and not your failure. Practice saying, “Once I have my new job I will...” This is not new age nonsense. This really is a great way to keep motivated. I know that by the time you finish reading this post you will feel more positive. (See, I just practiced it.)

Last, when things seem not to go your way, make a lemon margarita!

As always, if you have any questions, please email me at rvargas@creatingprints.com or call 303-600-8603.

Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer
www.creatingprints.com

The Interview: Piece of Cake

Hooray! An Interview…Oh No! An Interview  

After such a labor-intensive job search, you now have earned the 'nerve-wracking' interview. You have also begun to obsess about the plentiful competition. It seems as if everyone you know needs a job. So, how can you relax when you must master the interview? (Don't worry; I'll tell you how you can 'untwist your knickers.') You must differentiate yourself by adopting an outwardly-tracked mindset. Instead of obsessing about how well you will perform during the job interview, resolve to focus on servicing the interviewer! Ask yourself, "How can I service this person I am about to meet and the company they represent?" I know. I can hear you now, it sounds simpler than it is—and yet, it really is transparent. If you are qualified, have researched the company, and if you know how to gather your thoughts and communicate them verbally—it's in the bag!

The Best Interviewees

When I use to interview, the candidates that were most memorable (and also turned out to be the best employees) were neither the ones who had answers rolling off their tongues (I could see right through that) nor the ones that walked in on pins and needles. The qualified applicants who were curios, polite, professional, and who seemed to be reflecting on our discussion were the ones I hired. Why? Because in addition to being the best qualified, they cared enough to listen, evaluate, ask questions, and provide insightful and unscripted answers. The image these stellar candidates created during the interview was that of a professional who, yes, had prepared for the interview but used the information as a springboard to an engaging, spot-on conversation.

Calm Down and Redirect Your Focus onto the Interviewer

When you meet your interviewer, focus on them and on what they seek. Transform that entire interview into an order-taking session by making it about the person across from you. Assess your interviewer's body language, listen attentively, and help them solve the problem of finding the ideal candidate. Be the solution to their problem.
 

Questions That Will Engage Your Interviewer

Another way to engage during an interview is by asking incisive questions. Project your desire to connect, understand, and serve. Here are a few questions:

What is (name company) looking for in the ideal candidate?

How it is that (name company) is in need of fulfilling this position?

How does (name company) see this position affecting the entire department?

What would employees say they most like about (name company)?

Notice the questions suggested above do not address the interviewer by using the pronoun, YOU. By avoiding the use of YOU, the interviewer will not feel interrogated or misinterpret your intentions.

Relax! You have worked hard at attaining an interview. Besides, you wouldn't apply for a job you are not qualified for anyway (right?). Have your piece of cake--you've earned it.

As always, if you have any questions, please email rvargas@creatingprints.com

Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
Master Resume Writer
Nationally Certified Resume Writer
Academy Certified Resume Writer
National Job Search Consultant
www.creatingprints.com
rvargas@creatingprints.com
Tel: 321-704-7209