So it’s been awhile since you polished your resume? Never built a resume before because you are so damn charming people just threw jobs at you? Changing careers and trying to translate the jargon from one industry to another? This is a daunting task, to be sure.
Nearly everyone I’ve met, including recruiters, are a little unsure of how to build their resume, you’re not alone. There are lots of – maybe too many – websites out there to help with this task.
Recently I looked through a pile of resumes which were deposited on the table for the company I work for during one local career fair. There were nearly a hundred. We were interested in hiring for only two or three jobs, no more than 5 positions in total. The jobs we were hiring were predominantly service sales or sales manager positions. We had PhD’s and Master’s degrees in the sciences applying for an opportunity with our company. Were they? Were they really looking for a manual labour job? I doubt it, but what I don’t doubt is that they were close to desperation and would take anything. The thing is, the places you’re applying aren’t nearly as desperate, so you should take the time to tweak your resume so that it acknowledges you’re looking outside your field.
Consider your resume like your “elevator pitch”. You have 30 seconds in an elevator to sell your product, so don’t waste time on irrelevant fluff.
Draw attention to your strengths right away, stand out, be bold. Wow the recruiter – carefully. This is a professional document designed to match employers with potential employees – so match your style with your industry where possible.
Use trusted sources when you develop your resume. There are as many tips out there as there are people sharing them. Personal preferences influence these ideas. There is no perfect solution but in all cases you’ll find professionalism is recommended. I recommend everyone has a look at the guide provided by USask. It’s a pretty comprehensive place to start. Once you have a working document, revise, edit, massage, and perfect it.
University of Saskatchewan – Resume Guide
Do’s and Don’t’s
Do – pay attention to the professional details. Know your potential employer. If they are big they may use electronic scanning systems. Fancy graphics or banners may not be compatible and just eliminate your resume from consideration. Conversely, a smaller business relying on a human to read a pile of resumes will appreciate a well-put-together resume that is legible, professional, and easy to read. A splash of colour or good paper might differentiate you from the rest – but don’t be cartoony or juvenile.
Don’t – double side your resume. Scanners and people dislike double-sided resumes. It either doesn’t work, or looks cheap. Many employers want electronic versions, but if you’re handing in a hard copy make sure it looks professional. Don’t double side but if your resume is more than 1 page then use two pieces of paper and a staple. In a large pile of resumes it’s possible for the pages to get separated. Put your name at the top of both. Number the pages. Make sure your resume can be put together again if it’s inadvertently separated.
Companies that prefer electronic resumes are now able to employ online application processes so as time passes fewer companies will need to “scan” resumes into their Optical Character Readers. Check the websites of the companies you wish to apply to. Do they use online application processes? Make sure your resume is optimized for their technical requirements.
Do – summarize your duties. If you can’t fit everything you’ve ever done into two pages then you need to do some editing. When recruiters are looking at a mountain of resumes they have no time or inclination to read a 7 page thesis. Stick to the old adage “keep it simple stupid”. Hit the highlights, especially those that match the job posting you’re applying for. Even worse than a 7 page resume is a resume typed in 6 pt font in order to cram everything into 2 pages. Edit folks. If you need to, be brutal, and slash the extraneous stuff.
Don’t – apply to a different industry or job without including a short statement in your objective to explain why a PhD with a geophysics background is applying to a retail management job. If you don’t it may look like you were scattering resumes everywhere, not caring where they landed – especially if you’re dropping resumes off at a job fair. This can make you look like you’re not really interested in the job or company.
Forbes – Nine Worst Resume Mistakes
Do – proofread your resume. Get someone else to look at it. Make sure you’re using the correct their/they’re/there or two/to/too. Punctuation saves lives.
Don’t – include details about yourself that could result in discrimination. This includes things like thumbnail photos, date of birth, place of birth. Basically anything that falls within the prohibited grounds of discrimination. Some are unavoidable (gender can be a give away unless your name is gender-neutral) but do your best to keep to skills, experience, talents, and competencies that will help you get the job.
Other interesting links and sources:
Eight skills that can double your chances of being hired – Workopolis
Community Employment Services – Woodstock, ON – Skills Identification (click next to get a glossary of relevant terms)
Resume skills – list of skills for resume
Top Competencies
- Communicates effectively
- works well in a team
- creative problem solving
- using initiative
- well organized
- adaptable
- focused on results
- stress management skills
- motivating others
- coordinating resources
- leadership
- decision making
- commitment and motivation to career
Sources:
https://drive.google.com/previewtemplate?id=12-cGNWljrpBS0ZYZZLzWRZ0gOx2PAmCeX2gIkt0nMtU&mode=public
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