Watch for Resume Misinformation

I was doing some research for a resume and the more I dug into the internet for data and samples, the more frustrated I became.  Is it any wonder that people are confused about what to include in a resume when the internet is full of misinformation?

I saw a number resumes that included a person's age and marital status.  These people were from the USA; not some foreign country where including this type of information is looked at favorably. I also saw objectives in almost every resume sample out there.  I started to enter job titles just to see how many resumes I could find that included an objective.  The same thing happened with the "References Available Upon Request" samples. These resumes were not from individual people who posted on line; they were from legitimate resume writing businesses that charge you and arm and a leg to write your resume.

There were a number of businesses and college placement offices that provided directions on completing a resume that included these steps.  This misinformation includes: 

1. Write an objective stating the types of position that you are looking for.

2. In a chronological resume, list your position responsibilities in bulleted form.

3. Keep your resume to one page.

4. Include the names and contact information for your references.

Instead, a resume should include the following:

1. A summary statement that is a brief overview of your skills.  It is your branding statement that is carefully crafted to reflect what makes you different from the rest.

2. A listing of your accomplishments. This can be a bulleted listing but it must include measurable statements.

3. A resume can be two pages.

4. Your references and their contact information should be on a separate document.

Never include any personal information such as marital status, age, race, religion, etc. The most important part of the resume is the listing of your accomplishments.  You should spend most of your writing time crafting and refining these statements.

Resume Preparation Worksheets

When you attend any of my job search classes you leave with an armful of worksheets designed to help you write your resume, interview or network. You’ll get as many free samples and tools that you’re comfortable using. Two of these tools are designed for resume writing; specifically for writing your accomplishments. Writing  your accomplishments is one of the hardest parts of resume design.  Most people don’t think of about the impact of their actions and instead, use their resumes as a listing of job activities.  This is the worst thing you can do with your resume and is a good guarantee that it will end up in the trash.  Resumes must be tailored to each position and need specific, measurable examples of your accomplishments. After all, an interviewer or resume reviewer wants to know, “What’s in it for us?”

The first worksheet, Measurable Accomplishments looks like this:

What did you do?	Who was Involved?	Why did you do it?	How did you do it?	What was the result?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

The purpose of this form is to review you job responsibilities and as you are doing so, jot down the answers to these questions.  Your honest evaluation should help you uncover the measurable results of your actions. 

The second worksheet is a simple two-column chart.  On the left you will list the responsibilities of the open position and on the right, you would add examples of your experience that match with or align with those responsibilities.

New Position Responsibilities	Examples of Your Accomplishments That Support These

Both of these worksheets should help your identify your accomplishments and allow you to build a specific, tailored resume.  They will also help you with the interview, especially with any behavioral questions.

New Class- Creating a LinkedIn Profile

LinkedIn® Image

I've been touting the benefits of LinkedIn for a few years now because I honestly believe that it is an important part of any job search portfolio.  That said, when I've given any of my job search classes, conversations always seem to turn to LinkedIn and the steps needed to create a powerful, complete profile.

It often amazes me, especially with the older job seekers in my classes, that less than half of the participants have a profile. Some may have gone on to LinkedIn and entered their names but that in many cases, is the extent of it.

It is for this reason that I have designed a new training program; Creating a LinkedIn Profile.  This two hour class will take the class participants through the various parts of the profile and most importantly, will allow the class members to create their profiles during the training.  Blackbird Learning Associates will also offer a new service; creating a personalized LinkedIn profile.  This service is a nice addition to our training, resume writing and job search coaching offerings.

Details about our new course (along with descriptions of our existing courses and offerings) can be found on our website; http://blackbirdlearningassociates.com/services/.

Three Tips for the "Older" Job Seeker

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve given a few Job Search for the Age 40+ Job Seeker classes.  It’s my favorite class and we always get into wonderful discussions.  I’ve found some common themes with many of the participants though, so I’ve consolidated them here.

1.      Most people in this age bracket don’t use social media in their job search.  They apply for jobs on line or complete the on line applications that lead to nowhere but the majority of people don’t have a complete LinkedIn profile. All job seekers need a LinkedIn profile. Did I say that all job seekers need a LinkedIn profile?
A 2012 survey from Jobvite Inc., a recruiting firm said that 92.4% of companies planned to recruit through social media including 89% using LinkedIn. Completing a profile helps eliminate the false assumption that older job seekers do not like new technology. 

2.      Most people STILL have one resume and it reads like a job description. For years we’ve (those of us in the job search business) been reminding you to tailor your resume to each position. Since most companies use software that scans resumes for key words, its important to include those key words in your resume. Even companies that don't use those systems will visually scan your resume to see if it matches their requirements. A company wants to know, “What’s in it for me?” so it is also important to include measurable statements of your accomplishments. By asking yourself questions like, How many? How much? Resulting in what, you can nail down your accomplishments. 

3.      Not everyone loves to network. Unlike our Generation Y competition, many Boomers don’t like to ask for job search help or to generally network. A simple elevator speech stating your area(s) of expertise and an accomplishment or two will allow a job seeker to feel more comfortable when asked, “Tell me about yourself” or “What are you looking for?”  It’s important to practice your elevator speech to make sure that you’re comfortable with it. Remember that it should be changed or modified to suit each situation. 

These three steps will help take some of the mystery out of the job search for the older job seeker and more importantly, break through the barriers that get in their way.