Resume Monster

4 tips for the perfect customer service resume

2017-04-28T21:13:00.000-07:00

If you're trying to enter the customer service field or change jobs within the industry, it's possible to stand out and make hiring managers choose your resume over others. Here are four tips to consider as you craft your resume.

Maintaining a basic resume template is important when applying to jobs; however, most career specialists recommend creating industry-specific resumes to appeal to the managers and human resource representatives who are reading them.

Customer service representatives are on the front lines of a company. They deal directly with customers and often have to diffuse stressful situations and solve problems quickly and calmly. If HR teams make poor hiring decisions for their customer care teams, then they could end with employees who make the situation worse and isolate customers. This is why the hiring and training process is so lengthy and involved for this department.

Quantify Your Previous Experience

When possible, include quantifiable information about your performance and your company within your resume. This helps HR departments understand how you performed at your job and what your workload looked like. While customer service is similar across companies and industries, each company has its own distinct expectations, too.
For example, the team at Zendesk conducted a survey to determine the average performance of customer service departments across the world:

The average customer satisfaction rate was 86 percent, and companies faced an average of 630 customer complaints that needed human interaction.

By sharing your personal customer satisfaction rate and listing how many calls or complaints you solved monthly, it's possible for your employer to understand how effective you were as a customer service agent. Your time on each call could also be an important statistic to include if it took several minutes or an hour to solve your customers' problems within that industry, in order to explain why you only helped about a dozen customers per day.

Specify What Technology You've Used

Historically, customer care representatives (CCR) relied on phone banks to receive their calls while upper management monitored their performance. However, today's customer care teams are responding to calls, answering emails, and engaging in customer chats all throughout the day. To manage these multiple forms of communication, companies have started to invest in various software programs like FreshDesk or LiveAgent.
Some of these software platforms actually use machine learning to move customers further down the sales funnel, so customer sales teams receive information about customers and potential solutions to their problems before they even say a word to them. If you've worked with technology like this before, it's important to list it on your resume.
When you start working at a new company in the customer service department, you will likely be trained on their software and internal tools. If you're already familiar with them — or have used similar programs — hiring managers could see you as an asset because you will pick up the job faster and will be less of a burden on the training teams.

Include Soft Skills as Well as Technical Knowledge

According to a survey by CareerBuilder, 77 percent of hiring managers value soft skills in an employee (i.e., the less tangible skills associated with an individual's personality) just as much as technical ability. This number might even skew higher for customer service agents who require strong soft skills to solve problems while representing the company.

The Provide Support blog created an infographic with the top 20 skills needed to work in customer service and explained why each one is important. As you build your resume, try to mention a few of these soft skills along with the technical experience and training that you have. Many of these traits are actually buzzwords on a resume that hiring managers will be looking for when considering bringing you in for an interview. For example, you could say that you:

Listened to customer feedback and compiled reports for your managers.
Brainstormed creative solutions to customer problems that benefitted them and the company.
Led training exercises within your team to improve communication when relaying problem customers to upper-management.

While you're technically discussing your experience and sharing what you did in previous jobs, you're also highlighting your listening skills, creativity, leadership, and communication ability — all of which are soft traits your future employers will be looking for.

List Any Leadership Opportunities or Promotions

When you're creating your resume, you want to prove that you're dedicated to the companies you work for. No company wants to hire employees who will do the bare minimum and spend their days counting the minutes until it's time to go home. Instead, companies want people who will do their best and motivate those around them. If you're able to show that you're a dedicated employee, then your resume has a higher chance of making its way to the top of the stack, above applicants with the same skill set.
The average employee stays with a company for 4.6 years, with young people between the ages of 25 to 34 staying with companies an average of 3.2 years. Not only do hiring managers want someone who will stay for several years (and therefore reduce turnover and training costs), but they also want potential leaders. If your manager selected you for training or a leadership seminar at your last job, be sure to mention it in your resume. This shows that you're willing to stay at a company and that your manager thought of you as a key candidate for promotion.

Find out who is looking at your resume – and why

2016-05-30T03:14:00.001-07:00

Your days of playing the guessing game when it comes to employers' interest in you as a candidate are over. Here's why.

You upload your resume. And then you wait. And wait…
And wait.
The hiring process has traditionally been a one-sided affair, with employers having the upper hand -- and job seekers often left wondering if anyone has shown interest in them as a candidate (or has even viewed their resume).
But no more.
As a job seeker, you no longer need to play the guessing game when it comes to employers' interest in you as a candidate. CareerBuilder has just launched some exciting new features that tell job seekers which companies are viewing their resumes -- and more importantly, why.

How it works

After you post a resume on CareerBuilder.com, simply visit the home page to see:

Your views: Up-to-the-minute information on the number of times your resume has been viewed.
Your search mojo: The frequency in which the resume has come up in company searches.
Why employers are viewing your resume: See the search terms an employer used to find you for insight into how and why you're showing up in their results.

Oh, and that's not all: You will also receive weekly emails highlighting the number of times your resume has been opened throughout the past week and which specific companies are looking at your qualifications.
Cue your happy dance.
We're really excited about this new feature, and hope you are, too: It gives you an unprecedented gauge of whether you have the right keywords in your resume to attract desired employers -- or whether you're off the mark and need to rethink your strategy.

Getting some bites?

If an employer has viewed your resume in our database, don't delay: "Quick apply," available on over half of our jobs, enables you to apply with the click of a button through either your desktop or mobile device. (Haven't uploaded a resume yet? It's easy.)
Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder, also gives a sneak peek of more changes to come:
"In the future, we will also be providing recommendations to job seekers on which phrases they should use in their resumes to increase their chances of getting noticed."

Top 5 Keywords: To Use in Your Sales CV

2016-04-22T00:04:00.000-07:00

The nature of a sales job means you should be able to sell, so your CV should reflect your skill. If you're having trouble selling yourself, you'll leave employers wondering how on earth you're going to sell their product!

We've compiled the top 5 keywords to include when you're writing a sales CV to help your CV stand out:

1. Financially Motivated

Someone who is inspired and enthusiastic about working hard to receive a financial reward.

Don't be afraid to use this phrase in fear that you'll seem shallow or greedy. The sales industry is all about making money, securing deals and of course; getting that commission! If you're financially motivated; the employer knows you'll be working hard to secure great deals for the company and a nice bonus for yourself too.

2. Resilient

Can recover readily from rejection, adversity or hardship.

Selling a product or service to someone who isn't necessarily interested or doesn't understand your product could lead you to a lot of 'thanks but no thanks' responses; so you'll need to be resilient and bounce back from the rejection.

3. Down to Earth

A sensible and practical person who is without pretence or one who is practical in their decision making and philosophy of life.

Having a down to earth attitude and sales technique will mean you're much more likely to get those sales. It can be good to have a quick anecdote that you can share with potential customers about your own experience, this could help people relate to you; and the product. However; if you don't have your own experience and you have to make one up; make sure its believable - test it on a few friends and see if that would encourage them to buy.

4. Excellent Communication Skills

The art and technique of using words effectively to impart information or ideas.

These transferable skills can be related to a role in any industry, but for jobs involving sales and communicating with clients; good communications skills are a must. Don't put on your CV that you have great communication skills if in the interview you're a waffling muttering mess. When communicating with anyone; be confident and concise.

5. Consistent

Unchanging in achievement or effect over a period of time.

Prospective employers want to know that you're going to continually deliver great sales results, smashing targets and exceeding expectations wherever you can. You can tie this in with your resilience; it's natural that you might have 'off days' where you won't perform as well; but it's important to know that you won't give up and you'll persevere to achieve.

When discussing your previous achievements; use action words. Rather than stating that you generated a lot of income for the company; state the exact figure! When stating that you continually over-achieved sales targets, use words like 'smashed' and 'maximised' to portray yourself as an active worker.

However; it's not enough to just list numerous skills and traits that you supposedly have! Only use these keywords if you actually have this ability. Ask those who know you best to come up with a few keywords to describe your personality and work ethic.

17 Successful Executives Who Have Lied On Their Résumés

2016-01-18T20:27:00.001-08:00

Mid-level workers aren't the only ones fudging their experience

Business Insider

By Hope Restle and Jacquelyn Smith

Your résumé is a place to highlight your biggest accomplishments and showcase your most valued skills. It's what hiring managers use to determine whether you'd be good at the job, and whether you're worth meeting in person.

So, it's no surprise that a majority of people lie on their résumés. A 2014 poll from CareerBuilder found that 58% of hiring managers caught applicants exaggerating or fudging details about previous roles, skills, or awards. And entry- or mid-level workers aren't the only ones guilty of fibbing. Top execs have done it, too.

Here are 17 successful executives who were caught or admitted to fudging, exaggerating, or straight up lying on their résumés.

Vivian Giang and Jhaneel Lockhart contributed to an earlier version of this article.

David Tovar, former VP of corporate communications for Wal-Mart

1/17

In September 2014, David Tovar, the vice president of corporate communications for Wal-Mart, resigned from the company after it was discovered that he had not, in fact, received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Delaware, like his résumé stated, according to Bloomberg.
The New York Times reported that he didn't remember what he had put on his résumé. He said, "I definitely didn't disclose that I didn't have a degree, and there were times where it was probably an error of omission." He said he was a few credits shy of his degree, and had even participated in the graduation ceremony.

Sandra Baldwin, former president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee

2/17

In May 2002, Sandra Baldwin, the first woman to be appointed the president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee, resigned after admitting she had put false information on her résumé, according to The New York Times.
She had stated on her résumé that she received her bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado in 1962, and her doctorate from Arizona State University in 1967.
She eventually admitted that she only attended the University of Colorado for three years, but received her bachelor's from Arizona State — and that she never actually earned her doctoral degree because she didn't have time to finish the dissertation.
Baldwin came forth because a University of Colorado student interviewing her for an alumni publication intended to disclose the truth, according to The New York Times.

Read more #@> 17 Successful Executives Who Have Lied On Their Résumés

5 Resume Mistakes That Scream 'Narcissist'

2016-01-17T22:53:00.003-08:00

Let the recruiter decide if you truly are creative, innovative or exceptional.

Inc.

By J.T. O'Donnell

Most people hate writing their resumes. The idea of having to sell yourself with a piece of paper can feel really intimidating. Between the formatting and the content, creating the perfect resume can feel overwhelming and frustrating. Even worse, as you send out the resume and receive no responses back, you start to doubt your design. Next thing you know, you're making tweaks and changes, obsessing over why the resume isn't making your phone ring.

Resume trends have changed dramatically in the past few years. Recruiters have high expectations. They're also time-crunched. They need resumes they can quickly skim to determine if you're a fit. Did you know that studies show recruiters spend an average of only six seconds on your resume to determine if you're a fit? Which means that first impressions matter.

Unfortunately, many job seekers aren't getting a second opinion on their resumes, ultimately creating one that mistakenly screams, "I'm a narcissist!" to recruiters. I spoke with TopResume's job search expert, Amanda Augustine to get her take on how job seekers are going wrong. Here are five things she says you should never do on your resume:

1. Leading with a "me, me, me" objective statement.

Recruiters don't care about your career objectives. They have a job to fill and you are just a potential service provider. Augustine explains, "When the first thing a recruiter sees on your resume is what you want from them, they're turned off." Ditch the wordy, self-important objective statement and free up that valuable real estate on your resume for proven accomplishments instead.

2. Overselling yourself with subjective text.

When you use words like "creative," "innovative," and "exceptional," you're sharing opinions of yourself. The recruiter sees it as his or her job to determine if you are those things. When you say it about yourself, you sound cocky. Augustine says a good test is to ask yourself if you'd say these things when speaking face to face with a recruiter. "Hi, I'm fantastic Amanda!" would sound pretty silly. Tone down the language and stick to the facts instead.

3. Adding a picture.

While a photo is normal to add to a social media profile, it's not acceptable on a resume. Augustine says recruiters don't want to be distracted by the photo. Plus, you could be setting yourself up for discrimination. Let your accomplishments speak for you, not your looks.

4. Getting too personal.

Recruiters don't want to know about your wide-variety of extracurricular activities. Augustine says, "It's a resume, not a dating profile." Recalling that recruiters spend only six seconds skimming your resume, it's better to leave off anything that isn't truly relevant to your professional experience.

5. Showcasing quotes and references.

Testimonials are for book covers, not resumes. First, recruiters have no way to prove if they're real. Second, they take up valuable space on the resume. Augustine says featuring references from co-workers and managers screams, "I'm trying too hard to impress you." If the recruiter wants them, he or she will ask for them.

If you're guilty of any of the above, you may want to rework that resume. Also, consider seeking out some tools to help you evaluate objectively what else might be missing the mark with recruiters. Think of yourself as a business-of-one and the resume as the brochure. The messaging needs to resonatewith your intended audience, or you'll be dismissed.

14 of the Most Ridiculous Things People Have Put on Their Résumés

2015-08-13T23:35:00.003-07:00

Hiring managers revealed résumé mishaps that ranged from inappropriate typos to blatant lies.

Business Insider

By Hope Restle and Jacquelyn Smith

No résumé is 100% flawless.

Many include minor errors — a misspelled word, a missing digit on your zip code, a few too many buzzwords — and while these aren't favorable in the eyes of the hiring manager, they can easily be forgiven if the candidate is otherwise impressive and qualified for the job.

But what can't be forgiven (and certainly not forgotten) are blatant lies, inappropriate email addresses, or links to, ahem, adult websites. And yet, real job seekers have included all of these ridiculous things, among others, on their résumés, according to hiring managers who participated in a recent CareerBuilder survey.

"Job seekers understand that there is a lot of competition for jobs today; therefore, they are trying more unconventional methods in effort to stand out and grab the hiring manager's attention," says Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. "These efforts may also likely be misguided attempts to compensate for lacking 10o% of the qualifications specified in the job posting."

But job seekers should try to stand out for the right reasons, she says. Instead of making outrageous claims or lies, focus on what you are good at and what you have accomplished.

"Hiring managers are more forgiving than job seekers may think," Haefner explains. "About 42% of employers surveyed said they would consider a candidate who met only three out of five key qualifications for a specific role."

For its survey, CareerBuilder asked more than 2,000 hiring managers in the US to share some of the most memorable things they've seen on résumés.

Here are 14 that really stood out.

Applicant claimed to be a former CEO of the company to which they were applying.
Applicant claimed to be fluent in two languages — one of which was pig Latin.
Applicant wrote "whorehouse" instead of "warehouse" when listing work history.
Applicant's personal website linked to a porn site.
Applicant vying for a customer service position gave "didn't like dealing with angry customers" as the reason for leaving her last job.
User name of applicant's email address was "2poopy4mypants."
Applicant claimed to be a Nobel Prize winner.
Applicant claimed to have worked in a jail when they were really in there serving time.
Applicant who claimed to be HVAC certified later asked the hiring manager what "HVAC" meant.
Applicant said to have gotten fired "on accident."
Applicant claimed to have attended a college that didn't exist.
Applicant for a driver position claimed to have 10 years of experience but had only had a driver's license for four years.
Applicant listed as a reference an employer from whom they had embezzled money and had an arrest warrant out for the applicant.
Applicant's stated job history had him in three different companies and three different cities simultaneously.

17 Successful Executives Who Have Lied On Their Résumés

2015-07-30T00:01:00.003-07:00

Mid-level workers aren't the only ones fudging their experience

Business Insider

David Tovar, former VP of corporate communications for Wal-Mart

1/17

Sandra Baldwin, former president and chairman of the US Olympic Committee

2/17

David Geffen, billionaire entrepreneur

3/17

Decades ago, looking for an "in" into Hollywood, David Geffen lied about attending and graduating from UCLA in order to obtain a mail room job at talent agency William Morris.
According to Fortune, Geffen soon became worried because he heard of someone else who had lied on their résumé — and subsequently got fired.
So he went into the workplace early each day for six months, and waited for the university's letter to arrive, stating he had never attended.
When it finally arrived, he intercepted it and replaced it with another that stated he had indeed graduated.
Though Geffen didn't specify during the Fortune interview, he insinuated he learned a lot and left the agency on his own terms (without them discovering his CV fib).
He also added in the interview: "Look, I'm not setting an example … But it's an idiotic thing that you have to be a college graduate to be an agent … Did I have a problem with lying to get the job? None whatsoever."

The 8 Biggest Mistakes on Resumes, and How to Correct Them

2015-07-06T22:13:00.000-07:00

When you’re an entrepreneur, you do a lot of searching for the right candidates to join your team. Hiring takes up a tremendous amount of time, so one of the best things you can do if you’re looking to get hired, or you’re looking to hire someone, is to pay attention to the common mistakes on resumes.
As a job seeker, keeping these mistakes off your resume will help you get through the stacks of applicants to potentially get hired at a great startup. As a hiring entrepreneur, identifying these key mistakes early on in the resume process will save you time as you sort through applicants.
Here are the eight biggest mistakes I see on resumes and how you can correct them.

1. Saying too much

Having a lot of experience is a great thing. However, put yourself in the mindset of the person hiring and take a good overview of your resume’s length. I typically like to see nothing longer than a page, maybe a page and a half, but really you should try to pare it down to a page.

People will fight me on this all the time and say they have so much experience that it simply won’t fit on one page. My argument is that when a candidate can show me that they can succinctly and effectively summarize their experience onto one page, it demonstrates you already are practicing two important skills you need at any startup or business. Also, don’t be afraid to put your LinkedIn profile link on your resume, and then list all the details there on your LinkedIn page, which will be the second place I go after reading your great, brief resume.
It’s always best to think of your resume as a job eliminator, not a job getter. I want to see if you have core competencies that match my team needs, then I’ll dig deeper with a LinkedIn search, phone interview or email after you’ve made the first cut.
Saying more of the right thing in less space will get you further with your resume.

2. Saying too little

Obviously, the flip side of too much is not saying enough. You should have a complete, robust page offering that gives the best details and the most statistically significant information about your past. Include metrics. I’m always amazed when resumes are filled with flowery language about “tasked with” this job and “responsible for” that initiative, but then there’s no data to back it up.
How many files did you reorganize into a complete new system? How many sales did you increase from quarter to quarter? Put metrics in the mix and also include any leadership or management positions.

3. Skip objectives

There’s an old school of thought that objectives should be listed at the top. I’m not in that camp. I don’t think the objectives section of your resume is relevant or important at this stage. When you’re in my office and we’re interviewing together, I like to talk to you face to face about your objectives. All this does on your resume is take up space on your one-page, metrics-driven resume. Skip it and save the space.

4. Grammar

Did you know grammar and spelling are two different things? You can spell its correctly and still be using the wrong form of the word grammatically. There are their, there and they’re, as well as multiple uses for you are and yours, apostrophes, colons, semi-colons and more (oh my!).
Understanding grammar, verb-noun subject agreement, propositions and plurals are all basics of the English language that your spell check isn’t going to find each time. Have a second set of eyes read your resume and check for grammar.
One trick I always use is to read anything I write out loud. Read out your contractions to make sure they make grammatical sense in your sentence. That extra step of care shows me that you are considerate and deliberate in the quality of your work. Trust me, many aren’t, and your resume will do better.

5. Spelling

Spelling, like grammar, matters. Spell check and auto correct aren’t going to get it right 100 percent of the time, so make sure you read it out loud and have a second set of eyes on your resume for spelling as well. It will make a difference.

6. Gaps

Aside from metrics on a one-page resume, the other big thing I’m looking at are the timelines. If you have big gaps in your employment timeline, that’s not an automatically bad thing, but you should offer some kind of explanation. Gaps of more than about six months should either have an explanation in your cover email/cover letter or should include an entry on your resume timeline, like explaining that you took time off to travel the world, or started a business that failed.
Whatever it is, those are important and relevant details that can fill in a complete view of your history. When I see big gaps in a resume’s timeline with no explanation, it makes me wonder what was going on and why you wouldn’t mention it. It’s a distraction in a resume.

7. Inconsistencies, embellishments and lies

Don’t lie on your resume. It’s that easy. Actually, don’t lie in life at all. Trust me on this. It’s obvious when your years of experience don’t add up, when your timeline is all over the place, when you have massive unexplained jumps in responsibility or hop from job to job.
Inconsistencies and dramatic embellishments are white lies and I’ve seen it all from white lies to full-blown fiction on resumes -- don’t do any of it.

8. Relevancy

My final word of advice on resumes is to make sure yours is relevant to the position you’re applying to, or else don’t bother. If I am having a medical emergency, but happen to know an incredibly talented engineer, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop by his place for medical care -- I need a doctor!

The same goes with your resume and applying for employment. If your skills really don’t match up to what the job requires, even if you are really smart, talented and have great experience at what you do, it’s just not a good fit. Save both sides of the table the time and don’t apply.

Courtesy: foxnew

9 Steps for Figuring Out Which Skills to Include on Your Résumé

2015-06-27T00:52:00.006-07:00

Learn to intuit what recruiters are looking for

Business Insider

By Rachel Gillett

If you're sitting in front of your computer, wracking your brain trying to come up with skills to add to your résumé, fear not.

With the help of some career experts, you can easily — and honestly — pad out your résumé with key skills recruiters look for.

Here's how...

1. Consider some of the most common skills recruiters search for.
"The most common skills people forget to showcase are the transferable skills that recruiters use general search terms to find — things that can be measured," says J.T. O'Donnell, a career and workplace expert, founder of career advice site, CAREEREALISM.com, and author of "Careerealism: The Smart Approach to a Satisfying Career."

These include:

Software you are proficient in (MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Office)
Project Management
Marketing
Sales
Customer Service
Budgeting
Recruiting
Management

2. Specialize your skills.
The skills recruiters look for when they scan through résumés depend on the type of position they're trying to fill, says Rita Friedman, a Philadelphia-based career coach.

For example, if you're applying for a position that requires technical knowledge, include specific examples of technology or equipment you use, even if it could be reasonably assumed you must know these things, Friedman suggests.

3. Scan through a ton of job postings.
"To ensure that you're including relevant information on your résumé, carefully review job postings and highlight the parts that make you say, 'Oh, I do that all the time!'" Friedman suggests. "When you're writing your own resume, it can be hard to be objective, and you may forget about things that you're so good at doing they come to you automatically."

4. Research people with the jobs you want.
Friedman and O'Donnell both suggest checking out the LinkedIn pages of people whose jobs you'd like. Check out their "Skills & Endorsements" section and identify which ones you could justify putting on your profile too.

5. Diversify your list of skills.
"When evaluating a résumé, recruiters are looking for two big qualities: hustle and curiosity," says Kate Swoboda, creator of the Courageous Coaching Training Program.

She says employers today are looking for résumés that demonstrate the person takes initiative and is motivated by curiosity.

"These days, coders are now expected to interact with clients, and the person in charge of crafting the company's next great tweet might also be called upon to help with some aspects of visual design," Swoboda explains. "Recruiters are looking for people who are curious enough and motivated enough to go beyond their technical job description because that adds more value for a company."

6. Don't be afraid to make it personal.
"I'm very much in the camp of not hiding your personal life, skill set, and interests from a prospective employer," says Michelle Ward, a creative career coach and co-author of "The Declaration of You!"

She suggests including skills you've learned from outside passions, whether that includes owning an Etsy shop or planning your best friend's wedding.

"I think, more and more, companies want to see a well-rounded, inquisitive, personable candidate that is right for the job and would be someone interesting to have in the office," she says. "Just make sure to relate that experience back to how it'd be value for the company/position you're applying for."

7. Consider what you're proud of.
Friedman suggests you make a list of the things you're especially proud of accomplishing in your jobs and then think about what skills you used to accomplish these.

"If you reduced the amount of time it takes to complete a task, you may have strong skills revolving around process improvement or automation," she says. "If you got back the business of a former client who left, you may have a talent for repairing damaged relationships."

Ward adds that you should ask yourself, "What do people thank me for? What do I get complimented on, repeatedly?"

8. Quantify your skills.
Before you add any skills to your list, O'Donnell suggests you ask yourself a number of questions like:

How many projects have I led?
How many people were on the team?
How many customers were affected by my work?
How many people did I train?
How much money was involved?
What kind of results/savings did I get?

"If you ask yourself enough of these, you find your way to validate and quantify your experience in a way a recruiter can understand," she says.

Friedman agrees and says it's always better to show rather than tell on your résumé.

"For example, if you're in sales, you don't just need to hit keywords like 'business development' or 'consultative selling;' you need to have quantifiable examples of your skillset in action: 'Increased sales over previous year by 63%.'"

9. Talk it out.
In determining if you have the skills necessary, when creating a résumé, talk about your experiences out loud with someone, preferably a professional or someone who has work experience," suggests Alyssa Gelbard, founder and president of Résumé Strategists.

"They hear things differently and can help you translate your internships, jobs, extracurricular, and educational experiences into important skills for a potential job."

Tips for Making Your Resume Stand Out

2015-05-31T20:56:00.000-07:00

In a competitive job market, how can you make sure your resume gets noticed?

Your resume may be the first impression a potential employer will have of you, but in order to achieve that, it has to actually make an impression. Hiring managers see a lot of resumes, which means not only does yours need to have strong content and be presented clearly, but it also needs to be memorable and catch an employers' eye.

Here are some tips on writing a resume that will stand out from the pack:

Less is more
Be careful not to overload your resume. Cramming as much information about yourself as text size and margins will allow makes it more difficult for the hiring manager to find the most relevant information.
"Remember the purpose of the resume is to get you the interview. Don't load up the resume with everything but the kitchen sink," says Paul McDonald, senior executive director at Robert Half. "Instead, put enough detail in the resume to make a hiring manager want to learn more."
Keep in mind, employers tend to have quite a few resumes they need to look over, and thus don't tend to spend much time on any individual resume – at least in the early stages of the application process. The easier your resume is to read, the more likely it is to actually be read.
"Use short bullets that someone can easily scan," suggests McDonald. "An easy-to-read resume that shows a hiring manager you're results-oriented and can do the job will help move you to the 'need to interview' list of candidates."

Customize to the job requirements
No two jobs are exactly alike, and the resumes you submit shouldn't be either. Employers like to know that a candidate is legitimately enthusiastic about the open position, and submitting a cookie-cutter resume with irrelevant information sends the message that you didn't put in much effort.
"As a job seeker, your resume should be modular – able to be adjusted and tweaked to fit the job requirements. A one-size-fits-all resume is like job seeking with a blindfold on," says Lida Citroen, owner and principal of branding and marketing firm LIDA360. "Hiring managers and recruiters are often overwhelmed with resumes for open positions. The easier you can make their job, the more likely your resume will get reviewed."

Highlight achievements
In order to stand out, it's not enough to simply list the skills you have that match up with the employer's needs. Provide evidence that you do, in fact, possess said skills, and examples of how you've put them to use in the past.
"Frame your work experience with quantifiable or specific business outcomes you've helped achieve. For example, rather than 'opened new accounts and sold into existing customers,' consider noting you 'developed a new business pipeline of $3 million and secured 18 new clients,'" says Daphne Wotherspoon, managing director of the IT practice at HireStrategy. "It makes your professional accomplishments more tangible for hiring managers."

Web presence
Where resumes once provided job seekers the ability to manage the information prospective employers had on them, in the Internet era, that's no longer the case.
"The Internet IS your resume," says Karen Cahn, CEO of Vproud TV. "It's dated to think that the 1 sheet of paper you write your credentials on is the only thing that matters. It's only part of the story. Your online presence is just as critical."
Even with the additional information employers can find via the Internet, your resume is still a crucial tool. "A resume is a part of your toolkit, not the entire solution," says Citroen. "Successful job seekers build their personal brand and reputation and have a resume, which serves as an extension of all that information."

Resume Reboot: How to Take Your CV From Decent to Dynamite

2015-05-01T02:33:00.002-07:00

Make the most of your minute on a recruiter's desk

Shelley Huber

Love or loathe them, a resume starts the process of getting that job you want. It's the first impression a recruiter, HR executive, or other hiring professional has of you, so it should be a document that tells your professional story in an engaging way that -- hopefully -- prompts the reader to take action by helping you get your foot in the door.

But first, let's take a step back and understand that your resume acts like a gateway. It's just one part of a whole that is made up of your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and any other digital footprint you have out there. As they are all extensions of you, it's important to have them reflect back an accurate version of who you are and what your story's all about. Think about strong brands and how consistent they are. This also applies to you and your personal brand.

Now comes the "how" of getting noticed. Let's simplify and think of a resume in terms of structure and content. There are those of us who work with the standard format and others like the applicant at Airbnb who took her resume to a whole different galaxy. Not to worry, you don't have to go there. (Though kudos to her for her hard work and determination.) However, you do want to get noticed, and here are some key strategies to make that happen.

"Don't sell yourself short," says Heidi Duss, Founder of Prepster, a company dedicated to helping individuals make the best first impression. "A resume ... helps a potential employer understand your achievements and successes throughout your career." And on the subject of success, Duss emphasizes putting modesty on the back shelf and, instead, owning it. It's the fruit of all your hard work, right?

"Think back to the achievements that made you an asset to your previous employers," says Duss. "Consider not only what you did but also how it was achieved." Remember to use the power of "X" by "Y," when describing your accomplishments, as in, "I increased our bottom line by 40% ("X") by fine-tuning our SEO strategy ("Y")," instead of just "I increased our bottom line by 40%."

Show numbers as much as is appropriate. People like numbers because they help set up a context for what you are describing. As an example, if you did a special internship or got into a competitive program, don't forget to describe that you were selected out of "X" amount of other candidates. This helps to give a sense of the kind of selectivity you were up against.

Also remember the power of using keywords associated with the job description in your resume. Think of how you scan articles when you're looking for a particular subject matter. The same goes with recruitment. Use your words strategically.

And lastly, remember the little things. "Never underestimate the power of spell check! Have a mentor or friend review your resume for grammatical errors and ensure that the layout is visually appealing," says Duss. It's hard to imagine that after putting your heart and soul into your resume that it will be looked over in under one minute, but that is the reality. However, if you make that minute count for the reader, your voicemail and email inbox might start getting very busy, very soon.

Why One Professional is Sending Out a Resume Full of His Failures Bad References and Non-Skills

2015-04-14T20:16:00.000-07:00

Jeff Scardino's shockingly honest LinkedIn profile

Business Insider

By Kathleen Elkins

Anyone who's gone through the stressful job-search process knows how impossible it can seem to stand out in a pool of thousands of qualified applicants.

Jeff Scardino, senior creative at Ogilvy & Mather and mentor at the Miami Ad School in Brooklyn, poses a unique solution to this conundrum: what he calls the Relevant Résumé - a résumé littered with your failures, bad references, missed honors, and non-skills.

If you take a look at his personal relevant résumé below, you'll learn that he has worked on several losing pitches, cannot remember names, could be more punctual, and dated a free-spirited girl at Ohio University who ruined his junior year.

Scardino has always been intrigued by the résumé, but this idea for an alternative, brash template emerged recently when he was helping out with his company's hiring process.

He couldn't stand to see another traditional, plain résumé or talk to yet another highly approving reference. He wanted to see failures and talk to the people who didn't like the candidates.

"That's more interesting to me," Scardino tells Business Insider, "and it's even more interesting if the candidate is willing to give you that information. For someone to be that transparent and that much of an open book says a lot about them and their confidence."

Scardino stripped down his own LinkedIn profile so that it features only his relevant résumé:

Jeff Scardino

While he chose an extreme approach, "realistically it's just a compliment to your LinkedIn profile or traditional résumé," Scardino explains.

It's a creative way to get your foot in the door, he believes, and once you land the interivew, you can follow up by presenting tangible skills, explaining why you chose to highlight certain failures, and what you learned from overcoming them.

The next step is putting his theory to the test. Scardino plans to conduct a social experiment, in which he will apply to several job openings using his relevant résumé.

He thinks he'll get a 100% response rate. "How could you not respond if someone had the guts to send you this?"

Super Bowl Victory and the 394th Resume

2015-02-04T21:00:00.005-08:00

Job search lessons from the Patriots' big win

John Hoover

Was it Yogi Berra's politically incorrect "It ain't over 'till the fat lady sings" or Winston Churchill's "Never, never, never give up" motto that was posted in the locker room in University of Phoenix Stadium yesterday? Maybe both.

Who knows? But "It wasn't over until it was over" in the 49^th Super Bowl played on February 1, 2015. Malcolm Butler, a rookie free-agent from nowhere--correct that--from West Alabama sealed the victory for the big names from the New England Patriot's organization, with Tom Brady at the top of that legendary list.

It's not only only the game-determining big play, like Butler's, that wins the game. It's every gritty play from the opening kickoff until the final gun that wins the game. If Butler had intercepted Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson's pass in the final minute of play with New England trailing by more than a touchdown, he wouldn't be a hero for the next twelve months. It would have been "too little, too late." Butler's heroics were labeled as such because the previous 59-plus minutes of regulation put New England in a position to seal the victory-which Butler did.

Indeed, Butler is now a hero until Super Bowl 50 because the Patriots were leading at that moment thanks to the play of their marquee athletes. They simply would not quit. Not one of them. They "refused to loose," as Saint Louis head coach, Jeffrey Michael Fisher, coined the phrase. Fisher, to be accurate, coined the phrase when he was head coach of the Tennessee Titans who refused to refuse to lose and came up one yard short of winning Super Bowl 34 in 2000; losing to (you guessed it) the Saint Louis Rams.

On January 30, 2000, Tennessee Titan quarterback, Steve McNair (since tragically deceased) completed a last-second pass to wide receiver Kevin Dyson at the one-yard line. Unfortunately for McNair and the Titans, Saint Louis Rams linebacker, Mike Jones, tackled Dyson a half-yard short of the goal line, preserving the Rams' 23–16 victory. A clutch defensive play not unlike Butler's last night.

As the Titan's proved, just having a catchy mantra doesn't mean you follow it.

I started out of college and sent out 394 resumes from the time I graduated until I received my first job in Los Angeles television with KNBC six months later. I went on to enjoy nine years with The Disney Company and later, McGraw-Hill and Partners in Human Resources International in New York City.

That's relevant because there would not have been a career for me at Disney or beyond if I had quit after I mailed the 393rd resume. It took 394 resumes before my name rolled across the closing credits of my first NBC television special. Who knew?

The take-away message that every one of us should cherish from Super Bowls 34 and 49 is that, no matter how hard you have fought or how diligently you have persevered, victory might just be one more snap away. That's the eternal promise to the job seeker: one more resume, one more application, or one more contact might make the difference, be the one, or seal the deal.

Tom Brady, one of the most celebrated football heroes in the game, raised his hands in victory moments after Malcolm Butler, a relative unknown until that decisive moment, made the play that sealed the victory. (I'd like to be Malcolm's agent Monday morning.) But it was Brady, and the rest of the Patriot's roster that earned the victory, even after Seattle played heroically and good fortune bounced their way almost often enough to win.

Don't leave the winning resume on your computer. Don't forgo the phone call, email, or social networking opportunity that will unlock the door you've been waiting to unlock. Don't come up one yard short of your Super Bowl victory. You're worth that one last effort.

Worst Resume Mistakes You Can Make

2015-01-28T23:09:00.002-08:00

Remember to focus on your target audience

Miriam Salpeter

Can you spot what's wrong with this resume?

It's likely most job seekers have heard about a prominent figure losing a job as a result of a resume lie written early in his or her career. This kind of huge mistake attracts a lot of attention. However, most "worst" mistakes aren't headline grabbers or news stories; they are mistakes almost every job seeker makes when on the prowl for a new opportunity.

If you have a resume, and it hasn't been professionally written, one of these "worst" mistakes likely lurks in your materials.

It's all about you.

This category of error can be one of the toughest to identify, because you think your resume is all about you. Think again. In fact, while it is a document to market your accomplishments, your resume's job is to connect with the hiring manager. To be most successful, it should appeal to its target audience.

Check your resume for these overly self-centered red flags:

An objective. "A position with a growing company where I will feel fulfilled and get experience necessary to achieve my goals." While most objectives are not quite so self-centered, the nature of the objective is that it focuses on the job seeker and not the employer. Regardless, the objective is a dated vestige of resume days gone by; avoid it in favor of a "headline" and quick bullet points that clearly connect with the employer's needs.

"I, me or my." While some resumes break this rule successfully, in general, resumes should be written in the "first person implied." For example, "Oversaw 50 employees" instead of "I oversaw 50 employees." If your resume is peppered throughout with self-referential language, it will probably strike the reader as a bit "me centric." (Note: keep this in mind for your cover letter, too. While you can say "I, me or my" in your letter, make sure you aren't beginning every sentence with "I.")

Oversharing. It's very nice that your family is the most important aspect of your life, but the resume isn't the place to discuss it. Incorporating too much personal information, especially when it is not a requirement of the job, is a key indicator of the job seeker's preoccupation with what he or she wants or needs. In the U.S., resumes should never include personal information, such as age, marital status or religious affiliation.

Seeking experience. It's the very rare employer who wants to hire someone who does not already have the skills necessary to do the job. If you are looking for experience, that is fine, but keep it to yourself and focus on the skills you do have to help qualify you for the job.

Careless Errors

The biggest category of resume mistakes are the ones you will probably never notice when you edit your own document. These resume killers don't make the nightly news, but they are your job search's worst enemy.

Careless errors. Spell check does not catch all spelling errors; do not rely on it to proofread your resume. Ask an eagle-eyed friend or take other steps to edit your materials. For example, try reading it backwards, print it in large font and read the words aloud to a friend. Sometimes, you'll be able to catch misplaced words and spelling or grammatical mistakes.

Formatting. While resumes may have their formatting stripped for an initial read via an applicant tracking system, it's possible your actual resume may make it into the hands of a hiring manager. If you have an awkward page break, too many fonts or inconsistent formatting or spacing, the hiring manager may decide your lack of attention to detail disqualifies you for the job.

Missing the Point

Your resume's goal is to convince the hiring manager of your qualifications. Your job is to submit a resume that clearly conveys how and why you are a good fit. Unfortunately, many job seekers make the big mistake of failing to read the job description. (Learn about other killer job seeker mistakes .)

Target your materials. Read the job description carefully and decode what the employer seeks in an ideal employee. (Review my series of "Job Descriptions Decoded" for advice and specific information about how to successfully target your resume.)

Unnecessary details. No, you don't need to list every job you've ever held for the past 25 years on your resume. Generally, it's appropriate to include the last 10 or 15 years of experience, but be sure to focus on the most relevant experience. Especially if you're transitioning to a new field, feature the experience in past jobs that's more relevant and interesting to your new target employer. Don't spend a lot of time listing things you've done that have nothing to do with your goals.

Include accomplishments and skills. Resumes that are a laundry list of "stuff" usually fail to make the cut. What you've done in your past may be relevant, but don't forget to incorporate language addressing your skills and accomplishments. For example, if you worked on a team, make a point to indicate your specific role in the end product.

When you write an error-free resume that accurately portrays your experience and takes into account what the employer hopes to see, you'll be way ahead of the competition.

4 Tips to Get the Mediocre Out of Your Resume

2015-01-05T21:10:00.003-08:00

Take a cue from your high school English teacher

Rhona Bronson

As we were growing up, our mothers dutifully worked hard to make us humble, hardworking, good team players, and punctual. That's fine and good, but if you dare put any of those characteristics on your resume, either in a summary or listing of capabilities, you are effectively guaranteeing that your resume will be tossed rather than read. Your resume is your shot at showing why you're special, not how well you were brought up. Unfortunately, too many people write their resumes as if their mothers (rather than hiring managers) were reading the document.

When crafting a resume, turn off your mother's voice. Ironically, all the characteristics that might make you a great human being translate on a resume to a potentially mediocre and boring employee. Your assignment in writing your resume is to paint a compelling picture of why you're a phenomenal candidate. No one is perfect, but you should be exciting, amazing and someone that the hiring manager just wants to meet. It's all in the words and phraseology that you choose to describe yourself.

Example: At the very top of his resume, one friend listed the following as his main qualifications: "Solid organizational skills, good communication skills, knowledgeable in social media."

Can you spot the implied mediocrity in his choice of adjectives?

If I'm hiring a coordinator or administrator, I want them to be great at organization and amazing at communicating with clients and customers. If I'm hiring a social media assistant, I want the person to be far more than just "knowledgeable." My grandmother is knowledgeable about Facebook. My social media assistant is a whiz kid.

Luckily, there are many tools today to help you turn yourself from just another nice person into a serious prospect worthy of consideration for an open job. Here are a few of them.

Remember your high school English teacher and use action verbs. Every year there are standard resume buzz words and loads of advice on how to use them or abuse them in a resume. For instance, check out these research results from a CareerBuilder survey that show common resume terms that make recruiters cringe.

Instead of buzz words, consider sprinkling your resume with power words, verbs that put oopmh or action into your resume. Here's where high school English class comes in handy. There are distinct differences between adjectives and verbs in resumes. Verbs are true power words generally showing you can get things done. Examples include: launched, managed, led, developed, and created, to name a few.

Contrary to power verbs, buzz words are frequently overused adjectives such as unique, detailed, solid, good, adaptable or flexible. These words imply that you don't have results to report and are punting to describing yourself instead of your work.

Think of your high school math teacher and show your work. Contrary to popular belief, your resume is not about you. It's about your work. This is the most common mistake I see on many resumes sent to me for review. Worse, I usually see this error at the very top of a resume in a summary that describes the person and what she wants in a job rather than the prospect and what he can bring to the job.

The person: Dependable team-player interested in working in a challenging environment
The prospect: Effective project manager known for motivating teams under tight deadlines.

Resumes are your chance to "show your work." Your work--not your self-descriptions--should make you shine. That's why numbers that show results are so powerful. For instance, which employee are you most likely to invite for an interview?

Person A: Dedicated salesperson with exceptional attention to customer service and meeting all
sales quotas.

Person B: Effective sales representative who grew accounts by 10 percent in three months and created a new sales category to grow business by $25,000 in the first quarter rollout.

The math wins every time because it goes beyond describing you as a person, and instead shows the results of your work.

Show your varsity letter. Mom taught us how to be nice people, and we frequently hear how people like to work with people they like. Certainly, hiring managers don't want to hire difficult personalities, but before they spend even a minute assessing your personality they first want to know if you're a great prospect who can do the work, get the work done, and not be undone by the work in high-pressure situations.

You can be the best team player in the world, but the hiring manager needs specialists in building her team. Generally, we make the mistake of selling ourselves as a cheerleader when the team needs a solid quarterback to call plays, or a broad-shouldered offensive lineman who can take getting bruised, or even a flexible goalie who can keep his eye on the puck and where it's likely to go.

It's important to know the role you're interviewing for and how you have trained to perform that very position for the good of the team. That is very different from being a team player.

In summary, remember the old saying "it's business. It's not personal." Your resume is about you as a business person. Although it's a reflection of you, it's not about you. It's about your work and how you're effective in a business environment. Use your resume to show what you've done and how you've done it. You can let your smile and handshake in the interview show them you're a nice, solid, stand-up kind of person. You need your resume to first get you in the door to that interview. Mediocre and nice won't cut it.

25 Great Resume Templates For All Jobs

2014-12-09T22:43:00.000-08:00

Your internet search for 'resume templates' ends here

Kristen Felicetti

We've all scoured the internet for "resume examples" or "resume templates", but let's face it, usually the sample resumes you find are too generic, not appropriate for your field, impossible to download, or simply ugly. Luckily, template provider Hloom has put an end to your frustration. They've created a great collection of 277 free templates.

The Hloom page is easy to navigate and all the templates open in Microsoft Word. However, there's still an overwhelming 277 different templates to sift through, so AOL Jobs has made it even easier. We've selected our 25 favorite templates from Hloom. These 25 templates include appropriate examples for positions in finance, admin, graphic design, academia, and more.

Some of the designs we selected are traditional and some are more creative, but all have smart and clean designs. All successful resumes should be visually appealing to the hiring party and clearly highlight your qualifications in an organized way.

Classic
These clean, modern designs can work as resume templates for most jobs, from creative positions to corporate ones.

Finance and Business
Whether you're an executive, or just aiming to be one, these templates reflect a professional and strong candidate.

ATS Optimized
Hloom has a great section of ATS Optimized resumes. These layouts use prominent headers and traditional fonts. They are designed to potentially insert keywords that relate to the job posting near the top. They do not use graphics, borders, tables, or any other design elements that might be difficult for a computer applicant tracking system to interpret. The layouts themselves are also ideal for clerical and administrative jobs.

Entry level
Even if you're just entering the workplace, a recent college graduate, or making a career change, you can still have a great resume. Here are some templates for candidates who might be light on previous experience.

Creative and Academic
If you're applying for a job in a creative field, you might be seeking a template that has a bit more flair. The first template is suited for an actor, gallery artist, or any position that prioritizes listing creative work over descriptions of work experience. The last template is for academics or anyone who needs a resume that lists research and publications.

Browse all 277 Free Resume Templates at Hloom.

Beware of These 4 Grammar Mistakes on Resumes and Cover Letters

2014-11-13T23:38:00.004-08:00

Chek evry sentence real careful-like

Susan Ricker

In Larry Beason and Mark Lester's book, "A Commonsense Guide to Grammar and Usage," the authors understand that sentence diagramming and tense agreement may not be issues that most people are concerned with in their writing. However, that doesn't mean that writing well has to be difficult. "Avoiding errors is not the most important aspect of writing effectively, but it is important enough to deserve writers' attention," they write. And if you've ever written a cover letter or resume that claims you have "excelent attention to detail," but misspell excellent, you can understand why presenting yourself as a smart, capable worker who can communicate effectively is important to hiring managers.

That being said, there are four grammar mistakes that seem to haunt job seekers and workers alike. Whether you're sending an email, formatting your resume or drafting a cover letter, these are the four areas that deserve a proofread before you hit send, save or print.

1. Eliminating sexist pronouns

Most job-seeker materials will cite specific examples of your work or of people you know, so using gender-specific pronouns like he or she is a must when writing. But in emails or speaking about broader topics like industry or management trends, it can be easy to generalize in sentences like, "Each person should try to do his best." The problem is that gender-specific pronouns can create or reinforce biases in people's minds, which clouds your writing and degrades the message you're sending.

To correct this issue, Beason and Lester's write, "See whether you can make the subject of your sentence plural and change the gender-exclusive pronoun to the plural form (they, them or their). Try substituting his or her for a gender-exclusive pronoun when the subject is singular. [Or] revise the sentence to avoid using personal pronouns altogether."

2. Apostrophes in contractions or showing possession

Contractions such as can't instead of cannot help writing sound more familiar and informal, which can coax your reader into a more relaxed and understanding mood. And citing ownership of a project ("The communications team's presentation went well") is a common scenario in writing. Unfortunately, when writers aren't sure of the rules apostrophes follow, they often abuse the punctuation mark and opt for overuse versus an embarrassing omission.

The authors' advice: "If you use a contraction, it'll need an apostrophe." For possession, "Check carefully each use of its and it's in your writing. If you are indicating possession, there is no need for an apostrophe [with its versus it's]. However, if you are using a shortened form of it is, you need an apostrophe to take the place of the missing letter."

3. Capitalization

Typically, job titles are capitalized on resumes when you're listing your experience and the companies for which you've worked. But if you're writing about truck drivers as the profession, not the specific role that you had, you wouldn't capitalize the term. Confusing? It can be.

Really, you want to minimalize capitalization because it demands importance and attention, which should be saved for your titles and not every reference to the profession or industry. The authors write, "Although capitalization errors can easily occur, it is important to avoid them. Frequently, capitalization errors – like spelling errors – jump out and distract readers from what a writer is saying." For your credentials, the authors recommend to "Capitalize the names of actual courses, schools and subjects. Do not capitalize when you are making a general reference."

4. Fragments

"A fragment is part of a sentence that is punctuated as though it were a complete sentence," the authors write. However, it's an incomplete sentence, such as "Which I had worked on all night." Out of context, it makes no sense. This is a frequent offender in emails and other casual correspondences, since we tend to write those as our thoughts occur to us or in quick response.

To combat fragment sentences, read through each sentence on its own. Does it makes sense standing alone or out of context? Does it still convey a thought? If not, it needs to be merged with another sentence to become complete. This strengthens your writing and the stance you take in it.

Writing well is a skill that every profession benefits from. It can also be what catches the hiring manager's eye and gets you a resume or what impresses a boss and results in a raise or promotion. Best of all, writing well furthers your causes and conveys your ideas, making a real impact on your career and the world around you.

These Online Platforms Can Boost Your Resume for Free

2014-11-09T00:18:00.001-08:00

Improve your chances by building these skills

Andrew Ward

Now more than ever, the job market is a treacherous place. The supply of quality jobs does not match the demand for careers for new and veteran professionals. There are ways an individual can stand out by showcasing the right skills, but getting these skills sometimes costs money many job seekers can't afford. Now a rise in free, quality education has begun to bridge the education gap. If you're looking to boost your resume, consider some of these platforms.

Coding

Ruby, JavaScript, Python. Do you know any of these programming languages? If you do, or know other in-demand languages, you have a leg up on the competition. Considered by many as the must-have job skill of the future, coding is a virtual must-have on your resume. With Codecademy, you can put yourself on the track to being more in-demand in the job market -- for free.

As GonnaBe lead engineer and co-founder C.J. Windisch told Mashable last year, "We see it everywhere from statistical analysis in baseball to politics with Barack Obama's data-driven election team," Windisch says. "Understanding data at that scale requires a computer to run numbers, not a calculator. In today's big data world, that means coding."

Codecademy user Liz Beigle-Bryant offered her experience with the website as an older job seeker. "So I'm 55, and I don't have a college degree. That means I need to work out ways to foil the resume algorithms that would automatically discard my resume," she explains. "Key web coding skills such as JavaScript, jQuery, Ruby, HTML, CSS, and Python (PHP & MySQL too) helped shoot me to the head of the queue."

With over 24 million users, Codecademy is one of the most popular destinations for learning programming and markup languages. For those serious about learning a new language, consider their Code Year, which teaches the basics to JavaScript before adding HTML and CSS.

If Codecademy isn't your speed, try some of these other free courses in coding.

Languages

Learning a language can be costly. Reputable classes can run into the high hundreds of dollars per class or program. With Duolingo anyone can learn a language for free. The founders believe high-quality education should be accessible to anyone for no cost.

A 2012 census report revealed that 55 millions Americans don't speak English in the home. While some may think the United States recognizes English as the official language of the land, there actually isn't one. That means the job market, and the consumers, may not be English speakers. If you have the skill to bridge the language gap you could be in high demand. Bilingual speakers average 5-20 percent more per hour than single-language employees.

A Rosetta Stone study concluded that average annual incomes of bilingual speakers average $10,000 higher than just English speakers and 17 percent of bilingual speakers average over $100,000 per year. In the health realm, another Rosetta Stone report supported learning a language as a way to combat mental diseases like Alzheimer's. You could be benefitting yourself on various fronts by learning another language.

5 Ways Your Resume Makes You Look Out Of Touch

2014-10-29T00:48:00.001-07:00

Monster

By Catherine Conlan

Monster Contributing Writer

If you’ve been in the workforce for a while and are thinking of looking for a new job, you’ll want to make sure that your resume doesn’t make you look out of touch with today’s workplace. Age discrimination is, of course, illegal, but it’s still a good idea to make sure your resume gives the right impression about your skills and experience.

Scott Vedder, author of “Signs of a Great Resume,” says he once saw a job candidate whose resume made him look completely out of touch: It listed the names and Social Security numbers of each of his six grandchildren. “It’s never appropriate to talk about your age or family status on a resume,” Vedder says. “And it’s certainly not appropriate to send a recruiter your family members’ Social Security numbers!”

You probably haven’t made that mistake, but consider these other ways your resume may be making you look out of touch.

An epic work history

There’s no getting around it: If you’ve been in the workforce a long time, you’ll have a long work history. Keep in mind, though, that you don’t need to list every job you’ve ever had — especially early ones that are no longer relevant.

Frame your experience as a benefit: “Recruiters frequently look for candidates with a proven history of success,” Vedder says. “Look for hints in the job posting which indicate a company is searching for a ‘seasoned executive,’ a ‘mature leader,’ or an ‘established professional’ or for jobs which require ‘10+ years’ experience. Then give specific examples to explain why your background makes you a great fit for the job.”

Your social media presence

For most jobs it’s OK to leave social media information off your resume, but hiring managers may still search for you online to get more information. You want them to find a strong presence that makes you look dynamic and engaged. “Even if your Facebook or Google+ profile is set to private, people can still see your main profile picture,” says Erik Bowitz of Resume Genius.

Make a great impression by choosing an attractive, professional photo. If you decide to be a little more public with your social media, make posts that show you’re plugged in to your industry by sharing timely articles and interesting news.

Your file format

Even the type of file you send your resume as can make you look out of touch. If you're using an outdated form of Microsoft Word on an old computer and send your resume as a .doc file, you risk pegging yourself as out-of-touch, Bowitz says.

Beyond keeping your own tools up to date, there’s no universal “right way” here. Your best bet is to find out which format is best for each employer and their application system and and use that.

Outdated phrases

Resumes have evolved over the years and things like “references available upon request” can make you look less than current, says Alyssa Gelbard of Resume Strategists Inc. “Another giveaway is if they have a separate ‘Interests’ section that includes things like travel, cooking and reading.”

Cut the fat from your resume and keep it focused on skills and experience. In addition, highlight the value you can bring to the company.

Signs of being stuck in a tech time warp

Not having a personal email address is a mistake, says Tony Palm, president of Military Professionals LLC. He adds that listing proficiency in Microsoft Office, “the Web,” or other standard office technology don’t make you look current.

Brush up on your tech terminology to ensure you’re making the right impression. Consider a class that can help you get up to speed on what you need to know.

Appearing Ageless on a Resume

2014-10-11T21:58:00.001-07:00

Show you're up-to-date with the times, and age shouldn't matter

CareerBuilder

Matt Tarpey, CareerBuilder writer

The world moves pretty fast, and smart employers recognize that they need to be ready to innovate and adapt at a moment's notice. But this focus on rapid evolution has many older employees worrying that their age may be having a negative effect on their ability to land promising new jobs.

We spoke to several experts for tips about how job seekers can appear ageless on their resumes.

Focus on what matters
One simple and straightforward way to downplay your age is to remove graduation dates from your resume. Of course, this omission is not likely to go unnoticed. "If you do choose this option, you must be prepared to answer the question: Gee, where's your date of graduation? Or, why did you leave it off the resume?" Roy Cohen, career coach and author of The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide points out.

When questions like these come up, Cohen suggests bringing the focus back to the job. He even offers a template response: 'I left it off intentionally. My recent experience and skills are so strong that I didn't want to clutter the resume with unnecessary information that would distract from my potential to hit the ground running immediately.'" Responses like this not only address the age issue, but also demonstrate confidence in your own ability.

Get with the times
Resumes are all about first impressions, and a savvy recruiter or hiring manager may be able to estimate your age based on your resume before even seeing your graduation date. "The key to appearing 'ageless' or 'with the times' would be in how you brand yourself in your resume," says Noelle Gross, career coach and founder of Noelle Gross Career Strategy. "There are resume design services that will make your resume stand out as being amongst the most modern in the stack of resumes. Perception is everything so having some cutting edge design can really work in your favor."

For more information on how to modernize your resume, check out this article or head over to CB-Resume for a more in-depth analysis of your resume needs.

Stay in the present
One of the chief concerns employers may have with hiring older workers is their ability or willingness to change their habits to keep up with modernization. "In order to downplay your age, an applicant needs to be forward-thinking. This means they would need a firm grasp of new technologies, social media and an online portfolio," says Patrice Rice, CEO of Patrice & Associates. "Overall, his or her drive for self-improvement needs to be apparent."

Demonstrate to employers that your age doesn't affect your ability to stay current. Maintain an active social media presence and stay up to date with new technologies in your industry. "When these qualities are highlighted, an employer will look less at age and more at the candidate's drive to evolve," adds Rice.

Update your email account
You're probably already aware of the importance of having an appropriate email address, but that's not necessarily all that hiring managers will notice. "When you email your resume, one of the first things the recruiter will see is your email address," says Laura Gmeinder, career coach at Laura Gmeinder Coaching & Consulting, LLC. "What does your email address reveal about your age? I recommend getting a new email address either branding yourself with a domain or setting up a gmail account or the like. Remember to keep it professional!"

Remember, employers generally aren't concerned about your age in and of itself, but rather it's potential implications. Show them that you're up to date on modern professional trends and new technologies, and you can dispel their concerns and refocus the conversation on why you are the perfect candidate for them.

7 deadly sins of résumé writing

2014-09-24T00:06:00.002-07:00

Steve P. Brady, freelancer

Despite the fact that there are numerous how-to articles out there, résumés are not easy to write. They require time, talent and patience in order to craft them into targeted advertisements for your most precious commodity: you.
You don't want this document that you have been poring over for days to fall victim to the seven deadly sins of résumé writing. Be vigilant and double check before you send your résumé to any potential employers.
Deadly sin No. 1: Typos
This is a no-brainer, but it is still one of the most common mistakes on a job seeker's résumé. Double and triple check, and then have someone else proofread it for you. This is the easiest of the seven to fix as long as you read carefully.
Deadly sin No. 2: Faulty formatting
Today's word-processing software allows for just about anyone to become a publishing wizard. You can add shadings, graphics, artistic fonts and stylistic flourishes. Don't.
Above all else, you want your résumé to be readable. Keep the fancy formatting to a minimum and place a priority on scannablility. Email it to a friend to ensure that the formatting you do keep is not lost.
Deadly sin No. 3: Irrelevant job experience
Everyone is proud of their professional life, and rightfully so. However, there comes a time when you have to be ruthless with your past and cut out anything that strays from the branded image you are trying to create with your résumé.
A general rule of thumb is to stick with the most recent 15 years of experience. For instance, if you are going for an upper level management position, you certainly do not need to include your time in the sales department 20 years ago when you first got out of college.
Deadly sin No. 4: Weak word choice
Banish words such as 'helped," "provided" and "worked" from your résumé vocabulary. Only use strong, active verb phrases that point toward dynamic action. You want employers to view you as a problem solver, not as a "doer."
Deadly sin No. 5: Boring bullets
Many times when a candidate sends in his résumé, the work history reads as if it was taken from his job description. In fact, that is what a lot of inexperienced résumé writers do. If you are one of them, don't worry, it is a common mistake, but it needs to be fixed.
Instead of just listing what your job requires of you, focus on what you have been able to accomplish. Sales numbers, quotas reached, budgets balanced and clients signed are all items that will make you stand out rather than blend in. Remember the key is to sell yourself.
Deadly sin No. 6: Not including a branding statement
The résumé objective is dead, but long live the branding statement. This is the first section of your résumé after the heading where you can create a dynamic headline and description of your own personal area of expertise. This will frame the rest of the résumé for the reader so that she sees your experience in light of your specialty.

Deadly sin No. 7: Length
There is a lot of conflicting advice as to how long a résumé should be. Here is the standard. A résumé should contain one page for every 10 years of experience in a given field. More often than not, this guideline works.

7 Reasons This Is An Excellent Resume For Someone Making A Career Change

2014-09-21T23:04:00.004-07:00

Emphasize the skills relevant to your new career track

Business Insider

By Jacquelyn Smith and Skye Gould

Writing a resume can be a daunting task. And if you're changing careers or industries, it's even more challenging.

"When you're attempting to change careers, you're often going up against many other candidates who possess a more traditional (and regularly accepted) work history for the role or industry you're targeting," says Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TheLadders, an online job-matching service for professionals. "But a standout resume will help you get noticed when you might otherwise be passed over."

In order to create an eye-catching resume that'll help you stand out from the competition, you'll have to look at all your experience and accolades in a different light, she says. "You must evaluate your experience, education, and professional development and skills to determine what's considered important for your new career, and then you'll have to re-position or re-brand yourself."

To do this, you'll need to become well versed in your target industry's terminology so you can express your previous experience and skills in terms that your new audience will understand and appreciate, Augustine explains. "That can take a lot of effort on the part of the job seeker; it may even require you to speak with people who work in your target field - which you should be doing anyway - to learn which of your skills are transferable and most prized."

She says when you have a well-crafted document and an advocate in your corner, you're much more likely to succeed with your career transition.

To get a clearer picture of what makes a resume stand out, we asked Augustine to create a sample of an excellent one for a professional changing careers.

While your resume may look different depending on the job or industry you're targeting, the one below from someone hoping to transition from HR to sales should serve as a useful guide:

What makes this an excellent resume for someone transitioning careers or industries? Augustine outlines the following reasons:

1. The job seeker's new career objective is clear.
If you want to change careers, it's best to have your new job goal well-defined, as this will dictate how you reposition your experience and which qualifications you decide to highlight in your new resume, Augustine says.

2. This resume focuses on the skills, achievements, and qualifications that are most relevant to the job seeker's new career track.
"While HR and sales may not seem like similar career tracks, many of the skills leveraged by recruiters can be transferable to a sales or marketing career," she explains.

It's important to identify which of your skill sets are valuable to another field, and in what capacity. "I can rattle off a list of common skills that are easily transferable to a variety industries and functions - problem-solving, strategic thinking, strong written or oral communication, people management, innovation, negotiation, etc. - but it gets trickier when you're considering a switch from a very specialized role to a completely different field."

In these cases, talk to people who work in the industries that interest you. Once they have a good understanding of your background and strengths, they'll be able to provide insight into which roles in their field might be relevant to you.

3. This resume sells what the job seeker has to offer.
"Hazel" is a technical recruiter seeking a position selling recruiting software to corporations, so her extensive knowledge of the recruitment process and her experience using and training others on various social recruiting platforms and applicant tracking systems work is emphasized in her professional summary and highlighted throughout the rest of her resume.

4. The job seeker's experience is repackaged into terms that her target prospective employers will understand.
"Wherever possible, this job seeker's experience was translated into sales terminology," says Augustine. "For example, the terms 'clients' or 'internal clients' were used to describe the hiring managers. Candidates were turned into prospects or potential leads. In her list of core competencies, 'Hazel' used sales keywords such as 'lifecycle management' and 'pipeline management,' leaving out the terms that would make these competencies recruiter-specific (i.e. 'recruitment process lifecycle' and 'candidate pipeline')."

Every field has its own acronyms and terminology. It's your job to figure out how to translate your experience and past successes into terms that resonate with your new target audience. Subscribe to industry-specific publications, conduct informational interviews, and start attending events that are relevant to your target field to gain this insight, and update your resume accordingly.

5. This resume is concise and only includes relevant information.
Even though the job seeker has over six years of experience and has worked in at least three positions, her resume is only one page long. "Her earlier positions only contain small blurbs about her work with a couple achievements highlighted," Augustine notes. "Rather than listing out a laundry list of your skills and experience, carefully select the accomplishments and responsibilities that will support your current career objectives."

6. The job seeker's major contributions and achievements are quantified.
Include numbers whenever possible, whether you're describing the size of your budget, the number of events you helped organize, or the number of people you managed, to demonstrate your value to the employer.

7. The job seeker included non-work related skills and activities.
"Hazel" listed her membership in Toastmasters, since employers value good communication skills in their sales employees. "Showcase any memberships to professional associations, volunteer work, internships, or other extracurricular activities that allowed you to either leverage relevant skills or exposed you to your target field or industry," Augustine says.

5 tips for college students to build their resume

2014-09-04T23:56:00.002-07:00

By Guest Contributor

By Kate May, recruiter at Hajoca

Today’s job market is tough; undergrads are facing more pressure than ever to set themselves apart from their competition. How do you set yourself apart from other graduates? Many college students believe that a good GPA and having some work experience automatically builds their resume and will impress prospective employers. With so much stiff competition, is that really enough? As a recruiter for Hajoca’s Management Training Program, resumes come across my desk every day, and I know what works and what doesn’t.

Here are five tips to help college students, especially business majors, build their resume into an impressive showcase for future employers.

1. Pick a major relevant to your field of interest. The first thing all college-bound students should do is pick a major that will prepare them for their post-collegiate life. Many students say they picked their major because it was a topic that sounded interesting, was easy for them, or seemed the most fun, only to realize after graduating that they were not prepared for the type of job they desired.

Work with your school counselor to figure out the best major for your desired career path.
Use your elective courses or take up a minor if you want to pursue some things outside of your career path; it will make you seem well rounded and can be a lot of fun.
If you are planning a career in business or plan to go to graduate school, you want to stick with majors like Business Administration, Leadership or International Business. This will ensure you don’t miss key classes that will shape your learning and add value to your resume.

2. Have an internship – and make it count. Working as an intern can be a great way to get your foot in the door at a company and gain some real-world experience. If you decide that an internship is right for you (or is required by your school), don’t just “get the job done;” work on relationship building with your co-workers and managers. Having recommendations from one solid internship experience will go much further than working multiple part-time jobs or having multiple internships.
Business is about building relationships, and you’ll quickly learn that making a good impression on your current boss could befit you for years – even decades – to come. If you realize you are in a heavily administrative internship, take on as many projects as you can – even if you aren’t assigned to do them. Showing initiative looks good to your employer, as well as on your resume.
3. Join clubs/organizations early on and take a leadership role. College can be overwhelming at first: moving away from home, new roommates, difficult classes, and college life in general can be very scary for incoming freshmen. Joining clubs or sports that interest you is a good way to meet friends and build your resume. Showing your commitment to a club or sports team is a great way to show off your dedication, motivation and leadership skills.If you join as a freshman or sophomore, you’ll have a better chance at being elected to a leadership role. Taking on a leadership role in a club or sport shows that you can lead a group, be responsible and have the ability to influence change.
4. Show off your technology skills. In today’s job market, knowing the Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) is not only necessary, but expected. Go one step further and get involved with creating a website, social media platform or an App. Employers look for students who know about technology and can use it to increase sales, bring in customers or update their systems. Feel technology challenged? Use Internet tutorials to learn a new skill, or ask a current Website moderator how you can contribute to their site.

5. Develop your personal brand. Your personal brand is the way others see you; it’s how you sell yourself to your potential employers. It’s more than just your resume; it’s your reputation, credibility and potential. Deciding early on to do the right thing, going above and beyond what is asked, and becoming the best person, friend, student and employee that you can be is the first step in developing your personal brand. Learn as much as you can from others: Talk to your fellow students, professors, work colleagues, friends and family. Always ask questions, but more importantly, listen. Learn when you can add value and when you can take away new understandings of ideas. Always live up to your potential and always do the right thing; this will put you on a path to success.

10 Things Not to Include When Writing a Resume

2014-08-31T23:13:00.001-07:00

What you leave out is almost as important as what you put in

CareerBuilder

You know the basics of writing a resume - how to format it, the general order and how long it should be. But are you aware of the things you should not include? What you leave out is almost as important as what you put in. Here are 10 things that don't belong on a winning resume.

1. Typos and grammatical errors. Even the smallest typo - a missing word or the wrong form of they're/their/there - can kill your chances of advancing in your job search. A clean resume, on the other hand, opens doors. Take advantage of spelling and grammar-check software. Then ask a grammar-savvy friend, teacher or colleague to proofread your final version.

2. Personal information. Your age, marital status, whether you have children, religion, sexual orientation and political views - potential employers need to know none of those things. In fact, hiring managers are legally bound not to ask you those questions. If it's not directly related to the job, leave it out.

3. A photo. Unless you're looking for a modeling or acting job, don't send a photo of yourself. You may wonder, what's the harm in letting human resources know what you look like, especially in this age of online searches? However common the practice is in other countries, the majority of hiring managers in the U.S. still frown on this practice because they don't want to risk being accused of discrimination based on appearance.

4. Your keen sense of humor. Unless you're applying to be a writer for "Saturday Night Live," save your wit for after you get the job - not before. Verbal cleverness and outlandish summary statements don't come across well on paper, and busy hiring managers don't have time for, well, funny business. No matter how hard you want to stand out from the dozens of other applicants, it's not worth writing a clever resume.

5. All your jobs and responsibilities. Unless you're really desperate to show any work experience, leave off your summer job as a lifeguard or stint operating rides at the state fair. Include only what's relevant, which can include volunteering and internships. The same goes for job responsibilities: Instead of listing each and every task you did, state only skills that are pertinent to the job you're applying for, and then get specific. When writing a resume, it's far more important to demonstrate your problem-solving skills than to have an exhaustive list of your role in every single job.

6. Meaningless words. Steer clear of overused buzzwords, business-ese and esoteric acronyms. Jargon doesn't add meaning and can turn off hiring managers. So please, don't say "leverage synergies" unless you're trying to elicit an eye roll.

7. Reason for leaving. This is never expected. It interrupts and detracts from a strong narrative about your strengths and how you can apply them with a new employer. If hiring managers want to know why you left a certain job, that question will come up during the interview where you will have a better chance of explaining yourself.

8. Hobbies. Don't cram the "Other Information" section with activities that don't overlap with the job description. Translation: Do include community service, such as if you're an IT professional who teaches computer skills to seniors. That's relevant. Your bobble-head doll collection is not.

9. Salary requirements. When writing a resume, it's presumptuous to mention the minimum you'll work for. It's also a poor tactic. If the number is too high, your may not make the short list. If it's too low, you could be paid less than what the employer is willing to offer. If the job post asks for a salary requirement, don't give a number or even a range. Instead, include something like this in the cover letter: "My salary requirement will depend on a variety of factors, including the benefits package."

10. "References available upon request." Resume real estate is valuable, and this is a line that means very little. Of course you'll provide references when asked - what job candidate wouldn't? Pat phrases like this annoy hiring managers to no end.

When writing a resume, make every word on those one to two pages work for you. Aim for a chronological and easy-to-read format, use active words and drop any extras. Let your resume wow hiring managers and get you interviews - not harm your chances of getting a great job.

This Is An Ideal Resume For A Mid-Level Employee

2014-08-06T00:52:00.001-07:00

Step one: Don't try to squeeze everything in

Business Insider

By Jacquelyn Smith and Skye Gould

Having a ton of experience under your belt doesn't necessarily mean you have an "impressive" resume.

"You can have all the experience in the world - but if your resume doesn't stand out, if you don't present that information in a well-organized manner, or if it doesn't tell your story, nobody will take the time to look at your resume closely enough to see all that experience," says Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TheLadders, an online job-matching service for professionals.

To get a clearer picture of what makes a resume stand out, we asked Augustine to create a sample of an excellent one for a mid-level professional.

While your resume may look different depending on the industry you're in, the one below should serve as a useful guide for job seekers with about 10 years of experience:

What makes this an excellent resume for a mid-level professional? Augustine outlines the following reasons:

1. The job seeker didn't try to squeeze everything into one page.
"At this point in your career, you've earned the extra resume real estate," says Augustine. "Spend more space elaborating on your most recent work, assuming it's most relevant to your current job goals." Include your header at the top of the second page as well, she says, so your name and contact information are always "top of mind" for the reader.

2. A list of the job seeker's core competencies is featured at the top.
Alex's resume contains a list of his core skill sets, usually referred to as, "Areas of Expertise" or, "Core Competencies." "This list serves two purposes," she says. "One, it allows a reader to quickly scan the top portion of the resume and get a good sense of Alex's capabilities; and two, it helps Alex's resume get past the electronic gatekeepers known as Applicant Tracking Systems."

3. Each role is split into responsibilities and key achievements.
Under each job title is a short description that explains Alex's responsibilities in that particular role. "Underneath the description is a set of bullets that highlight his most noteworthy and relevant contributions," Augustine explains. "Be specific and clear when describing your accomplishments and contributions."

4. Information is quantified wherever possible.
Include numbers whenever possible, whether you're describing the size of your budget, the number of events you helped organize, or the number of people you managed.

5. The job seeker used his work experience to show progression.
"Alex's work experience is listed in reverse-chronological order, starting with his current position," she points out. "More space is dedicated to the details of Alex's recent roles and achievements, as employers are most interested in this information and it's directly tied to his current job goals. Even when the job titles are the same, Alex is demonstrating how he's progressed in his career by taking on larger projects, bigger budgets, and more people."

6. The "Education" section was moved to the end of the resume.
Once you've been in the working world for three years, your education section should shift towards the bottom of your resume. "When you first graduate, your new degree is one of your best selling points," Augustine says. "Now that you've been in the workforce for a while, your experience and the skills you've developed should take center stage."