Tales from the Resume Reef: The Format, Part II: Resume Length

Your resume needs to be CONCISE. SHORT, To the POINT. EASY TO READ!

That can mean different things to different folks; however, if your resume is 9 pages long, I can pretty fairly state from experience that it’s too long. However, the “resume must be one page” methodology of days gone by is not accurate, either. Thus, this column will try to help you find a “good” length that doesn’t short change your accomplishments, yet keeps the reader interested.

Keep in mind that the key is to keep the reader interested in what you have to offer. So, anything that “gets in the way” of such is NOT going to be of help! While there are no “definite” rules in this, let’s look at a list of “good ideas” based on what the employer may be looking for. Having worked with employers and candidates, I’ve worked with thousands of resumes over the last 20 years. Hopefully, the following will be helpful!

Good Idea #1 – Have your “best specifics” organized at the top/beginning of your resume:

Greg Lachs
1244 East West Street
Tampa, FL 33630
813-555-1212
Jobseachdolphin@gmail.com


Objective
Staffing Sales, Career Services or Recruiting Opportunity.

Professional Summary
Experienced and Innovative Staffing Sales, Career Services and Recruiting Professional with a 10 year record of success.

Professional Highlights:
-Recruiting/Placement for Information Technology, Graphic/Web Design, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Allied Health, HR, Finance, Administration, Clerical.
-Successful placements in Direct Hire, Contract and Contract to Hire and Internships.
-“Phone Warrior” – regularly and successfully making 100+ outbound sales calls per day.
-Led Gerard-Phillips through a 250% increase in gross billing between 1998 and 2000.
-Achieved placement records in Career Services for IT, Criminal Justice and Massage Therapy grads.
-Organized 3 largest on-campus career fairs in Remington College, Tampa Campus history.
-Developed new business relationships with Cox Target Media. Achieva Credit Union, Eckerd, Hillsboro Printing, FKQ Advertising, Pinch a Penny, Special Data Processing, among others.
-Business Development through Inside Sales Calls and Networking.
-Professional and Effective Sales Techniques: Sandler Sales Institute Graduate, 1998.
-Successful “Cold call” recruiting into businesses to build pool of Engineering Candidates.
-Strong internet research skills including search engines and cross referencing of professional organizations.
-Well versed in MS Office and ACT software.
-Dedicated and proven methods through Career Assistance to provide STRONG matches based on upgrading candidate resumes and interview skills.
-Active database of professional contacts going back to 1997/1998.

Software
MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, Lotus Notes, Campus View, MS Publisher, MS Money, ACT

Note how this layout, from my December resume of 2007, makes it EASY for the reader to quickly see my qualifications. Put these highlights at the beginning.
• Recent college grad? Put your info on that EARLY in your resume.
• Have certifications or awards? Put that info EARLY in your resume.
• Want to list your education? Put that info either EARLY or at the END of your resume.

Good Idea #2 – Have your employment history in “reverse chronology.” (Most recent job first) with SHORT, bulleted items highlighting your accomplishments. Here’s what I had in my most recent resume:

Experience
5/06 – 11/30/07 Director of Career Services Remington College Tampa, FL
-Oversaw largest increase in placements for Criminal Justice & Massage Therapy in campus history.
-Inside sales (75-125 outbound calls per day) for student placement opportunities.
-Placement of students and graduates in Technology, Criminal Justice, Business and Allied Health.
-Responsible for placement of grads from all programs (approx 300 per year).
-Development and presentation of upgraded curriculum for Career Development.
-Organized and staged 3 largest on-campus career fairs (10/06, 4/07 and 9/07) in school’s history: 40+ employers per event.
-Created first comprehensive email list of students for distribution of job leads and tips.
-Conducted Workshops on Career Placement Skills: Interviewing, Resume Writing, Cover Letter Writing.

10/05 – 5/06 Staffing Specialist/Recruiter Amtran Services Tampa, FL
-Assisted in creation of start up staffing firm.
-Placement in IT, Graphics, Marketing/Sales.
-Provided ALL Placement services, from recruiting to sales to placement
-Inside sales (75-100 outbound calls per day.)
-Created initial policies, procedures and forms and bill rates for Contract and Direct Hire.
-Recruiting and placement for Contract and Direct Hire positions.

9/04 – 3/06 Career Services Consultant /(Independent Contractor for Career Envisions, Inc.)
-Regularly achieved 90%+ placement rate of eligible students for New Horizons, Tampa.
-Placed IT certification students in internship, full time and contract employment opportunities in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale for New Horizons, South Florida.
-Created and presented original "Career Services" training curriculum for soft skills training:
"Resume Writing," " Cover Letter Writing," "Interview Skills," "Job Search Skills" "Negotiation
Skills" for IT trainees attending New Horizons Computer Learning Centers.
-75-125 daily outbound sales calls for placement opportunities.
-Trained IT trainees in "soft skills" in Tampa, Miami, Jacksonville.

11/02 – 7/04 Recruiter/Inside Sales Staffing Firms Tampa Bay Area
-Recruiting/Placement for Information Technology, Graphic Design, Finance, Engineering, Drafting and Marketing.
-Inside Sales (75-125 outbound calls per day.)
-Achieved highest Billing in local branch history.
-Temporary, Temp to Hire and Direct Hire placements.
-Career counseling: resume writing assistance and interview preparation for applicants.
-Wrote job board advertisements for both Direct Hire and Temporary positions.

2/98 – Present Freelance Career Services Consultant Tampa, FL
-Provide resume writing and career placement assistance for individuals and small groups.

11/97 – 10/02 Kennard Communications of Florida (Company Closed 11/02) Tampa, FL
-(10/01 – 10/02) Assistant Marketing Coordinator
-Researched and developed local and national client base.
-100-125 outbound sales calls daily.
-Sold first annual contract for Engineering Job Board.
-Created and marketed pricing packages for job postings.
-Led company in sales volume for job board postings.
-Conducted resume writing workshops at career fairs and college campuses.
-Concepted engineering internet job board and wrote all website copy to submit to designers/developers.
-Recruited candidates through attendance of regional college job fairs/professional association meetings.
-(11/97 – 10/01) Staffing Manager - Gerard Phillips (staffing division of Kennard - closed 10/01)
-Recruiting/Placement for IT, Administrative, Clerical, Graphic Design, Finance, HR, Engineering,
Drafting and Marketing.
-Inside Sales (75-125 outbound calls per day.)
-Billed $800,000 in gross sales between 1998 and 2000.
-Successfully developed FIRST Pinellas County client base for Graphic Design and Marketing Placement.
-Set bill rates, policies and procedures for internal operations.
-Temporary, Temp to Hire and Direct Hire placements.
-Concepted company’s website and upgrade; wrote copy for site.

5/95 – 11/97 Coordinator, Hotline of Hillsborough
Crisis Center of Hillsborough County Tampa, FL
-Supervised all staff and volunteers for 24 hour, 7 day/week telephone crisis hotline.
-Co-coordinated 5 week training session and developed training materials for new counselors.
-Recruited, Interviewed and hired all staff.

Education
B.A., English The Pennsylvania State University

Notice how this makes it EASY for the reader to quickly what I did where and when.
• Reverse chronology means someone doesn’t have to read YOUR ENTIRE RESUME so see what you have done most recently.
• Bulleted items are MUCH easier to read than paragraphs: it says “this is short, important and worth reading.” Paragraph descriptions are WORDY; thus, a very bad idea.
• Numbers, numbers, numbers! If you have any numbers re: how much you accomplished, or number of people supervised or daily activities or accomplishments, include that. QUANTIFICATION helps showcase your SPECIFIC successes!

Good Idea #3 – Don’t go too far in reverse! Most resumes that wind up being 8 or 9 pages happen for two reasons:
1. People describe work history/experience in paragraphs that are long and hard to read. We’ve covered that one, already.
2. They go back “too far” in reverse.

Unless you are applying for the highest level of Sr. Management, your career history need not go back more than 20 years. That’s it! What you did in 1985 might be interesting (I was a teacher at that time,) but it was 23 years ago. Moreover, what you can do NOW frequently has little to do with what you did 25 years ago in THIS WAY: you aren’t using the same techniques, tools, etc. In IT resumes, for example, I’ve seen people describe their mainframe work in 1967; however, we’re not using those same mainframes these days. Or, they may describe working with an early version of DOS that hasn’t been able to be on use on computers since 1986.

This is not an attempt to say that what you did “way back when” never has bearing.
However, there are 3 things to keep in mind re: your resume:
1. People want to know what you can do NOW: not what you could do during the Nixon Administration.
2. Age discrimination is real. You aren’t being dishonest in cutting the “ancient” from your resume: you are focusing on the relevant. That gives you a better chance to get in for the interview, where “live” you can make that positive impression no matter how much experience you may have! My resume, for example, has no mention of my radio work in the 80s; my last stint as a dj was in 1988. Could I walk into a radio station and offer my services as a dj and be taken seriously? Not based on that!
3. My resume, as yours should, focused on my skills and the experience I have that’s recent and relevant.

Good Idea #4 – Number resume pages, and put your contact information on EVERY page of your resume.

In this “paperless” world, folks print out resumes almost all the time. If they misplace a page from yours, how will they know it’s yours? Well, having page number and your contact information is certainly helpful.

Good Idea #5 – Be ready to cut, edit, delete if need be.

How long should a resume be? Well, no rules are consistent, and keep changing.
However, if your resume is 6, 7 or 8 pages long, in most cases, that’s just TOO long. Most professional resumes should be NO LONGER than 3 pages. An employer WILL read a 3 page resume if it’s organized as we’ve discussed, but not necessarily a 6 page verision.

It’s a Bad Idea to think you need to include “everything.” That’s how resumes get to be overlong. And it’s a time you may need to show your effort to a friend, colleague or a professional resume writer to get yours to a reasonable length.

Good Rule of Thumb: For each job description, have no more than 6-8 bulleted items and keep each item NO LONGER than 2-3 lines. Such can save you space!

The key issue in resume length is NOT what you want to tell an employer; it’s what you can get that person to read. Hope that these tips will help you get your resume to a “reader friendly” length.

And that you can find more help in your job search at Greg Lachs’ Job Search Dolphin blog!

Phone Tuning, Part 2 - Messages from Work

Here’s a voicemail message many leave at work:
“I’m either on the phone or away from my desk.”

Wow! Isn’t that helpful?

Other reasons the person COULD have been unavailable....
• The person was busy fighting a rampaging killer aardvark in the office.
• The person was practicing pogo stick climbing of the Eiffel Tower.
• The person was playing catch with live alligators.
• The person was eating paint.
• The person was fighting off Lex Luthor and kryptonite at the same time.

Truly, it’s nice to know that this person is safe and either on the phone or simply away from that desk, isn’t it?

“I’m either on the phone or away from my desk” is trite.
Overused.
And fairly meaningless.

It’s the equivalent of saying “I can’t take your call because I can’t take your call.”
OR
“I don’t feel like answering the phone right now, so leave a message.”

Not quite the message we might want to give to a colleague, client, or potential employer! And, we can do better!

Employers may call us at work; it’s important to be not just professional, but also to use common sense as well. Therefore, if your voicemail has the phrase “I’m either on the phone or away from my desk,” change the trite phrase to something else:
• “This is Randi Zorch. I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message and I’ll return it as soon as possible.”
• “Mike Florb, here. Please leave a message at the beep with your name and number. I’ll call you back.”
• “This is Zeke Flibbo. I’d like to return your call, so please leave your message at the tone.”
• “This is Ed Cell. Please leave a message at the tone, or, if you need to reach me right away, please try my cell at 813-555-1212.”

Any of the 4 above is still short, to the point, and avoid the useless phrase of “being on the phone or away from my desk.” After all, we kind of figure you AREN’T available if you aren’t answering the call. So, why remind us?

A more professional message on your voicemail at work can ALWAYS be helpful.

And, as you can see, it’s not hard to do.

Tales from the Resume Reef: The Format, Part I: Overview

Simple facts about what your resume needs to be:
• Concise
• Easy to read
• Easy to follow
• Flexible
• Accomplishment Based
• Absent of Useless Extras

We will go over EACH of the above topics in its’ very own article right here on the Job Search Dolphin. The goal, I hope, is to give the reader a very clear idea of what works in a resume and why – and what DOESN’T.

Here are some quick thoughts to ponder about each of these topics.
• Your resume needs to be CONCISE
If your resume is 7 pages, I can pretty much guarantee that it’s too long. Readers are looking for quick information: not a script for the next Spiderman movie! However, the “resume must be one page” methodology of days gone by is not accurate, either. We’re going to help you find a “good” length that doesn’t short change your accomplishments, yet keeps the reader interested.

• Your resume needs to be EASY TO READ
If you’ve bunched ALL of your technical skills together, you may have created an eye chart. No one reads an “eye chart” for fun! Long, detailed descriptions of your past work history shouldn’t be paragraphs waiting to be part of the next 800 page novel, either. Simply, we’ll show you how to showcase your best skills and work history in a way that helps a reader more easily find out the good things about you.

• Your resume needs to be EASY TO FOLLOW
If you have the “functional resume,” we’re going to try and convince you to “toss” it. Simply put, the reader isn’t going to know how what you did where. Further, most won’t guess in your favor. We’ll help you show a clear path that makes sense to the reader: that’s the key, after all!

• Your resume needs to be FLEXIBLE
We’re not discussing “flexible facts” where one could make up accomplishments depending on the job description. Let’s leave that to Jon Lovitz’ classic character Tommy Flanagan, who was rather “creative” with facts the way many politicians can be. Instead, we’ll go over how you can MOVE what is important to different places based on the jobs you apply for.

• Your resume needs to be ACCOMPLISHMENT BASED
If most of your resume is a history of job descriptions, you are selling yourself very short.
How MUCH did you increase sales? How MANY people did you supervise? By WHAT percent did you help increase production? We’ll show you how numbers/quantification can help you sell yourself! Give yourself the awards for success you’ve earned!

• Your resume needs to be ABSENT OF USELESS EXTRAS
If you are wondering how this Greg Lachs person is going to help you with your resume, you may wonder if you have enough space for all you have done. Well, there’s more room than you think if you get rid of such classic and completely wasteful “extras” such as “References Available Upon Request.” Instead, we’ll show you key things you DON’T NEED; they are like that pile of newspapers by the fireplace – something taking up space and generating no heat or interest.

And we are hopeful that in giving you each of these steps in detail, we can help you make certain your resume does you all the favors it can. Each person can offer much; sometimes the resume gets in the way rather than helps. When you consider that 90% of resumes are ignored or set aside for future disposal by employers, keep in mind that getting into the 10% pile isn’t that complicated.

Product counts, and we hope we can give you enough tips and guidelines so that your resume is a product of the finest variety! Just like you!

Job Search Tip from the Dolphin: Avoid Revolving Door “Opportunities”

In Tampa, there was a call center who advertised each week for employees both in the local papers and online. Many applied and many were hired. However, there was a reason this employer kept advertising: they couldn’t keep anyone!

As someone who worked in both Career Services and Recruiting, I spoke with a number of ex employees of this call center. One story clearly showed me why people either quit or were being let go with great frequency: a student of mine told me that she was let go for not being logged onto her computer on time; the reason she wasn’t logged on was that her computer was having problems and she was working with technical support to get things corrected.

So, while she was doing the right and only thing she could (it’s kind of hard to log onto a machine that’s not working!) she got in trouble for not being logged in.

For this employer, I heard many similar stories. And for years, they were regularly recruiting for the same positions. Management wouldn’t change their approach, so employees couldn’t stay very long!

You may see an employer who is frequently advertising one or more of the same positions on a regular basis. However, most of the employers doing so aren’t growing.
It’s a “revolving door opportunity.” Next person hired is likely the next to either quit or be fired. Thus, it’s good for you to avoid these situations.

Most of the time, it’s a result of the way the company or organization is run, and here are some frequent examples of a “revolving door” situation:
• People are asked to do too much.
• Training is incomplete.
• Management is focused on strict and impractical guidelines.
• Rules change for no reason.
• Environment is not comfortable.
• Managers are not qualified and way too vocal.
• Most importantly, employees simply aren’t valued!

Ironically, these companies have hiring authorities who say “we can’t get good people” when the truth is quite the opposite. Good people have no reason to stay, or are let go. And supervisors and managers will be the first to “slam” former employees for “shortcomings.” While the truth is that virtually no one could succeed.

If you are set up to fail, it’s kind of hard to do otherwise!

Further, this is not just for “entry level” positions. I’ve seen mid to senior level positions advertised over and over by the same firm for jobs that SHOULDN’T be hard to fill.

If someone is advertising “all the time,” see if they are a growing firm. If not, you are looking at a “revolving door” that will continue to be such. It’s not a healthy place for your work environment. STAY AWAY!

You deserve a better work situation, and a diligent search can help you find one!

"Fin Tuning" - References

Not long ago, I was working with a candidate who provided me with several professional references right before an interview I’d set up with a client. While I was able to reach two people and get very positive and detailed feedback, 3 other references never returned calls. Having 2 good references was helpful, but most folks are looking for at least 1-3 more.

Had the employer hired my candidate, my guess is that they would have done their own background check. And that they’d “reach out” to those references again.

Of course, if the folks being called don’t return those calls, it SLOWS DOWN the hiring process. I’ve had experiences in staffing where I could not place a candidate until references got back to me, so the candidate had to wait.

Since most professional employers want 3-5 professional references, it’s very important to make certain of the following:
1. That you have current and complete contact information for your references:
• Employers get easily frustrated with disconnected phone numbers, wrong numbers or email “bouncebacks.”
• Check with your references to make certain all your information is STILL current!
2. That your references know that phone calls may be coming:
• This is ESPECIALLY true if you haven’t communicated with references for awhile.
• Plus, it keeps your references “alert” as to why calls are coming in, and the need to answer and/or return those calls.
3. And, if you have just had a job interview, you may want to “refresh” your references memories with a simple call such as this –
“It’s Diane. Just interviewed with Zorch for the Controller Position and it went very well. Steve Jackson from Zorch is likely to call you. I appreciate your willingness to be a reference for me. Thanks”

(If you are interviewing a lot, you probably don’t have to remind folks EACH time!)

Give your past colleagues or supervisors the chance to brag about the good things you offer!

Your references can certainly be of great help as long as you make certain that they are easily reachable!

“Take this Ride and Love It”

A couple of nights ago while buying groceries, I was speaking to the young woman who was at the cash register. She spoke energetically about being on Spring Break from the University of South Florida, and how she had to start studying later in the week. I asked her “how far along” she was in her studies; her response was that she was a “sophomore again” as she had changed majors twice. Turns out she started in English and now was in the accounting field, and was very eager to get into her studies. She found that the job opportunities in English right out of school were not all that plentiful in comparison to the accounting arena. A very bright and personable student, she’s likely to do well; certainly her attitude could not have been more positive!

Amazing to me was that her story was pretty much an exact reverse of mine!

A lifetime ago, when I started at Penn State, I entered accounting for the simple reason that there were jobs in that field. However, I had been very mediocre at math throughout secondary school; a “B” was a cause for celebration, and a C was more par for the course.
In my first calculus class at Penn State, I got my one and only D as an undergrad; in the next level calculus class, my grade was solidly in the “F range” when I came to a realization. It was the “wrong fit.” Thus, I changed majors twice, to Broadcasting and eventually to English, and graduated with a B.A. And jobs in the English arena were not plentiful in an early ’80s recession for a new grad. In the next 16 years I accumulated experience in the following: radio dj, teaching, administrative support, editor, volunteer coordinator, outside sales, facility management and the running of a 24 hour crisis hotline.

All during that time, I kept wondering “where I was supposed to be” in my career path.

I was VERY frustrated by such, and kept wondering if I was a failure.

Only in ’97, did I get into recruiting/staffing, and eventually Career Services. And discovered that in those two arenas I was to find opportunities that would fit my skills and interests in a way I didn’t know possible. Plus, all of those earlier work experiences helped me in dealing with the wide range of people I’d try and help who were in the job hunt.

We never know exactly how we are going to “get there.”
And, we never know WHEN that can be.

The worst thing I did was put “timetables” on myself for where I thought I should be.
“By this time, I should…” was my line of thinking. It was tied to nothing more concrete than hope and imagination. Further, each time that didn’t work out, I got angrier at myself for “falling short.”

Some folks find a career path easily and move to it quickly.

Many of us don’t.

At nearly 50, I’ve finally learned that it’s ok, too.

• Each of us is so different from any other one that we cannot be successful if we compare ourselves to others.
• Each of us learns differently; what looks great at first (for me, teaching) may turn out to be the wrong path for many reasons.
• Each of us will learn things we think we’ll never use, and find them incredibly valuable at some unexpected time.
• Each of us has skills, talents and abilities that are in need: it just may take some time to find where that is.

For me, I tended to order mine a bit wrongly and ignore some truths about who I was. Once I got past some of that, I was able to find a career path that was rewarding, challenging, and worth looking forward to.

We all have things to offer.
Sometimes, it just takes awhile to find out the what, where, when and how.
And that if you aren’t “there now,” you are likely on the journey.

It took me until nearly 40 years on this earth to “get there.”

And it’s different for each of us.

That’s the cool thing, though: since we’re all different, we can each offer something unique and special.
Whether it’s right after school or 20 or 30 or 40 or 50 years later!

From the Search Tip File: Refreshing Resumes

If you post on the job boards, here's something to keep in mind: keep your resume "fresh."

With most boards, you can renew, refresh or edit your resume: doing so UPDATES your posting date to make it current.

You can do this every couple of days.

And it CAN be very helpful:
1. Your resume is one of the FIRST that is pulled up in your professional category or by matching keywords. They may not have to "go back" as far to find candidates.
2. Employers see that you are likely still looking; that's good for them to know.

Having used the boards as a recruiter, I know can pull up resumes not only by keywords, categories or location, but I can also choose HOW RECENTLY the resumes are posted. The more CURRENT, the BETTER.

Everyone looks at that a little differently; however, if your resume has been posted six months ago and never updated, most people tend to figure that you have found something and that you forgot to remove your resume. Plus, I've found that these "older" resumes don't always have current contact information. So, I am a little more reluctant to call candidates I may not be able to reach.

So, I may not even try!

And if you are STILL looking, why not let potential employers know such?
-In Monster, you can go to the resume section and simply choose "renew."
-In Careerbuilder, you can make a minor edit to your resume. Here's what I do: I keep my current salary accurate, and then drop it by $100. That "updates" in Careerbuilder. The next time I "go in" I just bring my salary back to what it is.
And so forth...

I'd up the ante by suggesting you do this 3-4 times per week, as a common default in job boards is "resumes w/in last 3 days." This way, you'll always be in that section!

Recruiters, whether working directly for a company or for a staffing/recruiting firm are only going to look at "so many resumes." Thus, they are less likely to go back 3 months or six months or more to find candidates, unless the needs are especially specific and the "pool" of candidates is very minimal.

Since most of us aren't in that situation, you can make it easier for them to find you ahead of many others if you refresh your resume on a frequent basis.

Little time involved. Potentially much upside. Enough suggested!

Tales from the Resume Reef: Roll Credits, Logically

I'm one of those folks who is often still sitting at the end of a movie eager to see the final credits. In the quick scene by the waterfall, was the actor with the gun who I thought it was? Was the song that followed the big argument the one I thought David Bowie originally recorded? Where DID they film it?

Maybe you do the same thing.

At the movie's end, we see lists of ALL participants. It's niftily broken up into categories, too. Special Effects folks don't appear in the music credits, nor does the list of costumers show up in the list of actors and characters that usually starts the whole thing. That could be confusing.

Even more confusing? A title such as "People Who Were Involved in Making this Film" and nothing more than a list of all the names in no specific order. No titles or credits.

Who'd want to stay for that? How could anyone follow a random list and make sense of it?

Instead, the credits are "rolled logically."

So, the question then, is why do some folks put their "credits" in their resumes in a random "see if you can figure out where THIS is" fashion? I've seen a lot of this in technical resumes, but not just there. Of course, you need to have "keywords" that speak of your skills, accomplishments and abilities. However, bunching them together in no particular order does you no favors; it just confuses the reader.

If the person reading your resume can't follow it, he or she will miss things or simply skip over them. It's not hard to avoid this, though!

Organize and divide - quite simple!

Not this:
Technical Skills
Java, Javascript, Open Office , HTML, MS Access, Unix, Photoshop, MS Word, Dreamweaver, Windows Vista

This:
Technical Skills
Web: HTML, Java, Javascript, Dreamweaver
OS: Unix, Windows Vista
Graphics: Photoshop
Office Tools: Open Office, MS Access, MS Word

Not this:
Accomplishments/Skills
Outside Sales, Marketing via Flyers, Staff Development, Web Design, 300% Increase in Billings from 2003-2007, Appointment Setting, Workshops, President's Club Member 2003-2007, Opened New Office in 2005, Achieved 150% of quota 2006, 2007.

This:
Accomplishment/Skills
Sales: Outside Sales, 250% Increase in Billings from 2003-2006, Achieved 150% of quota 2006, 2007, President's Club Member 2003-2007
Marketing: Flyers, Web Design
Staff/Leadership: Staff Development, Opened New Office in 2005

Notice how in EACH case, the 2nd "version" of each is easier to read. Each is divided into categories that are simple and easy to follow.

And that's the point. If your "credits" are easy for the reader to get through, it's more likely he/she will see more clearly the best that you have to offer. What you then have is logical, simple and "reader friendly."

Help your resume give you the credit you are due! By organizing your skills and accomplishments, rather than bunching them together, you stand a much better chance of keeping your audience's attention.

Avoid The 90% Pile

Other folks have pointed out that adjusting your resume based on the job posting can be helpful. Truer words there are not.

The same is true for cover letters. Recently, I received a resume and cover letter in response to a job posting for a software engineer. However, the cover letter specifically focused on the person's Quality Assurance background and interest in a Quality Assurance position. I didn't have one of those.

One could almost say that the "job posting" world has a generic feel to it. It's impersonal, and many of the jobs we see look very much the same.

However, the person who reads YOUR information is an individual, which makes it personal. Thus, it's important that your resume and cover letter don't wind up in the "90% pile."

While not everyone reads cover letters, many folks do. If you send your cover letter, you are trying to make a positive impression, right? There's no reason for the following 2 errors:

1. Leaving old contact information from a previous letter
2. Not updating the job title you are applying for to make it the CORRECT one

Not correcting the 2 errors above says the following:
"I'm applying for your job along with MANY others, so it doesn't matter that much if you pay attention."

As job postings can result in HUNDREDS of responses, you simply give the person evaluating your effort a chance to put your resume in the 90% pile. That's the pile of resumes most recruiters and employers get that they have no use for or cannot use. And those are the resumes that will wind up being set aside or put into obscure files.

It's the OTHER 10% that get another review, and from those come choices for initial interviews. So, it's where YOU want to be!

In your cover letter, be specific about contact information and job titles for EACH job you apply for. That way, you let the reader know that you are focused on him/her:
there's a better chance that your resume and cover letter get to the 10% pile if you are qualified for the opportunity!

Be Ready for the Unexpected Good Stuff...

The picture here is one of my personal favorites: something I was able to "stumble" across while taking pictures in Ft. DeSoto Park back in 2002. While strolling along the fishing pier with my digital camera, I looked up and found these two feathered folk on a lamppost. Quickly, I changed the setting to "B&W" and snapped several shots. And this is the one that seemed to turn out best.

In 7+ years of amateur, self-taught digital photography, I've come up with some pictures I really enjoy. Yet, this particular one is among those I have the greatest fondness for.

It's simple - I was ready for the "unexpected good stuff." Ft. Desoto is a park that is often ranked among America's Top Beaches. So, I went with charged camera, extra batteries, and a willingness to use up the entire memory stick.

The job search process is similar. One never knows where an opportunity may come up, from whom or when. We need to be ready.

1. Keep your resume current.
Years ago, I worked with someone who did nothing but contract work related to Defense Contract Management. He said he updated his resume AS SOON as he got a new job. That's not bad advice!
2. Keep your resume available: I keep copies in my "job search only" Yahoo email account - so I can access my documents from anywhere. Or, keep your Flash drive with you.
3. Stay in touch with your contacts.
4. Find ways to expand your "network" of contacts.
5. Communicate FREQUENTLY with your contacts.
I've sent out a "blast" email about each two weeks to my contacts:
a. With a different subject line each time. It's more likely someone will read that.
b. With something different in the text each time. Just 2 or 3 sentences updating my search. If it's TOO LONG, it becomes a chore for the reader - and you lose that person's interest.
-This is good way to remind folks you are looking, get their suggestions/feedback, and to thank them.
SAMPLE:
I just had a second interview with the XYZ Company. Any feedback on them is appreciated. Thanks for your help in my search!

Not only will these help you be ready for the "unexpected good stuff" that may come your way, but also will your constant "contacts" with your network help increase the possibility that such things can take place.

In your job search, prepare for the unexpected. The more ready you are, the better your chances will be.

Tales from the Resume Reef - Don't Create Unneeded Distance

One of the points I try to "hit" in resume writing tips regards making things EASIER for employers to find the "good stuff" you have to offer.

Lately, I have seen some resumes online that create a whole sub-category.
It's called a "Summary Resume" and most times includes "complete resume available by request" or something like that. And if you are going to post your resume on job boards, it's not the best tactic. It creates unneeded distance, making an employer take another step just to find out more about you.

In the "Summary Resume," someone puts "short versions" of what he/she has done. Further, there is no "summary" of skills (ironic, perhaps?) that makes an employer get a clearer picture of what someone has to offer. Instead, there are single sentence descriptions under anonymous employers that leave out key accomplishments and details.

Please keep in mind that I am not referencing "Confidential" resumes here. That's a different type - and people are leaving things out to protect themselves - not to try and keep people from getting valued information.

That's not the case with "Summary Resumes."
1. They are short, and contain "Some" information
-Note that the term "some" is a danger - what is enough? If you provide "some" information about your skills or experience, is that adequate? What have you left out?
2. They usually have contact information for a person, or at least that person's name
-Thus, any confidentiality is gone.
3. They ask for someone to contact them to GET the full resume
-So, people are asked to take an "extra" step.

If you are comfortable in posting a resume with your name on it on job boards, make it the FULL resume. With a summary resume, you are leaving information out, and asking employers to contact you to "fill in the gaps." Some will do that, but others may not take the time. And you may lose opportunities. Chances are, if you are posting on the job boards, you WANT to be contacted. However, your skills, education and experience are what will drive employers to make that contact.

Don't ask people to "guess" if you have what they need.
Let those folks SEE the good you have to offer! With a FULL Resume.
It makes their decision easier, and you a more viable candidate.

And a "Summary Resume" is not a step that will help in that process.