Six Often-missed Pointers for Resumes that Work
PROFESSIONAL HEADHUNTERS SAY
“BE RESUME-READY” for HOLIDAY NETWORKING SEASON
Los Angeles (Oct. 27, 2011)—The best job-hunting time of the year is the holiday party season, according to Betsy Berkhemer-Credaire and Fred Clayton, principals of the retained executive search firm Berkhemer Clayton Inc. in downtown Los Angeles and Hong Kong. “Networking is natural and expected at holiday events in all industries, so now’s the time to polish up your resume and online profiles–before the holiday party season officially begins,” advises Berkhemer-Credaire.
“Industry trade associations, college alumni associations, company parties where your spouse or best friend works, annual reunions of employees from companies where you previously worked, chamber of commerce mixers, and neighborhood holiday dinners, are a few examples of locations where for the price of a ticket, you can meet and impress potential employers,” she adds.
“Immediate follow-up after an event is the key to success. So your resume must be ready to email immediately or no later than within 24 hours after meeting a prospective employer or recruiter,” explains Fred Clayton. “No one’s resume is perfect, and everyone’s resume can be improved—even the most senior executives often make the same mistakes in their resumes that recent college grads make.”
Following are the six most often-missed pointers that Berkhemer Clayton recommends to be resume-ready.
1) Spotlight your achievements, not your skills. Does your resume capture the value you have added to your company? A well-done resume also becomes a guide for talking points for your interviews. Write your resume according to how you would describe your best success stories in an interview with your future boss.
2) Under each company name (even if that company name is well-known), add a two- sentence description, including size (revenues and number of employees), whether it is a publicly-held or private company, major products or clients served, and how many offices in how many countries. This paints a picture of the scope of your responsibilities and in what types of corporate environments you have thrived.
3) Under each company description, list the progression of position titles you held there, with most recent at top, and the years you held each title. This shows that the company recognized your achievements and promoted you. Title progression also demonstrates you are committed, growth-oriented and ambitious.
4) Management experience: Bullet how many people you managed (include their titles if you can) and the dollar range of budgets you managed in each position. These are important indicators of advancement potential.
5) Objective or no Objective at top of the page? Not really necessary, but if you feel compelled to use an opening Objective description, make sure the paragraph does not over-sell your skills, but summarizes the value of your experience you bring that would be pertinent to that potential employer.
6) Jettison all self-aggrandizing, subjective (and therefore meaningless) words referring to yourself such as “superb,” “amazing,” “unprecedented,” “unparalleled,” and countless more. Instead, refer to Tip #1 and list your actual achievements, which will speak volumes about you.
In addition, one resume does not fit all purposes, says Clayton. “Depending upon the position and the company, edit your resume for each specific opportunity. Start with the basic outline of your career segments—companies and dates will not change, of course. But if certain achievements should be included to shine more light on your qualifications for a particular position at a specific company, do it.”
Lastly, online media profiles today are equally as important as your hard-copy resume—so synchronize your LinkedIn profile and your Facebook bio to reflect your resume.
And how do you find the holiday parties where you could network with people who work at companies where you want to work? “Start with your own industry trade groups, non-profit organizations, your college alumni association, your church or political fund-raisers. Research online, and schedule your networking calendar now for the holidays—the best networking season of the year,” says Berkhemer-Credaire. For more on building an effective resume, click here.
