The other night on LinkedIn there was a lot of talk about the pros and cons of using a professional resume writer. One LinkedIn group member was angry about the jargon and tasks associated with writing a resume and wrote a heated entry expressing his frustration. His comments reaffirmed the fact that if you don’t keep up with the new trends in the whole job search process; it’s easy to get lost in the jargon. He had issues with the newer phrasing that not only professional resume writers are using but also the actual words that have become common place and are thrown around by all job seekers. Some of these common job search phrases include:
Tailoring Your Resume – Tailoring is aligning what you did in your past job (or as a volunteer or member of a professional group) to the wording in the job posting. A friend of mine defined it beautifully with, "Words are indeed a suit of clothes; we put them 'on' to express ourselves precisely." If a posting says that you must negotiate, then your resume better show your accomplishments in negotiation. You should (must) tailor or rewrite your resume for every job that interests you.
Measurable Accomplishments – Everyone has measurable job accomplishments. These are specific metrics; the “how much”, “how many”, “ahead of schedule”, “exceeding client expectations” of your job. They can include percentages, savings, customer satisfaction numbers, etc. To find them, you’ll need to examine your Skill Set (see below) and figure out where you exceeded the expectations for your position. Think, “Where was I great and why?” If possible, think about your past annual goals or performance appraisals ratings.
Skill Set- The term skill set refers to the six or so areas that are your strengths. They should be a combination of your job-specific skills and soft skills. To find them, write out your tasks (both professional and as a volunteer or member of a professional group). Next, put a check mark next to the tasks that you enjoy doing. Of those checked, rate your skill level (high, medium or low). Finally, identify six skills that you rated as both enjoyable and highly skilled. This is your skill set.
Like everything in life, change is inevitable and this applies to the job search too. Technology, processes, key words, software scanning systems and so much more have taken what was once a difficult and draining process a step further. Unfortunately, if we don’t go with it (or at least try), someone else will win the golden ticket.
(Post Edited May 22, 2011)
Tailoring Your Resume
Measurable Accomplishments
Skill Set
Tailoring Your Resume – Tailoring is aligning what you did in your past job (or as a volunteer or member of a professional group) to the wording in the job posting. A friend of mine defined it beautifully with, "Words are indeed a suit of clothes; we put them 'on' to express ourselves precisely." If a posting says that you must negotiate, then your resume better show your accomplishments in negotiation. You should (must) tailor or rewrite your resume for every job that interests you.
Measurable Accomplishments – Everyone has measurable job accomplishments. These are specific metrics; the “how much”, “how many”, “ahead of schedule”, “exceeding client expectations” of your job. They can include percentages, savings, customer satisfaction numbers, etc. To find them, you’ll need to examine your Skill Set (see below) and figure out where you exceeded the expectations for your position. Think, “Where was I great and why?” If possible, think about your past annual goals or performance appraisals ratings.
Skill Set- The term skill set refers to the six or so areas that are your strengths. They should be a combination of your job-specific skills and soft skills. To find them, write out your tasks (both professional and as a volunteer or member of a professional group). Next, put a check mark next to the tasks that you enjoy doing. Of those checked, rate your skill level (high, medium or low). Finally, identify six skills that you rated as both enjoyable and highly skilled. This is your skill set.
Like everything in life, change is inevitable and this applies to the job search too. Technology, processes, key words, software scanning systems and so much more have taken what was once a difficult and draining process a step further. Unfortunately, if we don’t go with it (or at least try), someone else will win the golden ticket.
(Post Edited May 22, 2011)
2 comments:
Hey Nancy,
You can definitely feel the frustration coming through that poster's writing. Nice job on your gracious and empathetic response. Recently while sharing my story of receiving a "hate mail" with a peer, he suggested that I write on it with a red Sharpie "I RULE!!!" and frame it on the wall. LOL!
Pam
Hi Pam, thanks so much for the comment. The poster did make me think of the confusing words that are associated with the whole frustrating job search process. Since we go over all of the words in my classes and then do exercises to reinforce them, it makes it easier to understand in person.
Your peer made a great suggestion - red is so powerful!
Post a Comment